The Second Generation
by Living In My Imagination
Summary: "They say time is the best healer when it comes to a broken heart. They say that over time you begin to re-group and regain some control over your life, though you never forget the hurt. They say that it's not impossible to go on. But they also said that true love would last forever."
1. The Second Generation

**The Second Generation**

_What happens when the person you depended on most is suddenly gone? And when life has finally reached that normal you were aiming for, what are you supposed to do when the past comes knocking?_

_The _Second Generation _is set four years after Fang left Max and doesn't take into account anything that happened in _Angel.

_It's not strictly my usual style of fic, especially for_ Maximum Ride, _but give it a go and let me know what you think!_

-H

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They say time is the best healer when it comes to a broken heart. They say that over time you begin to re-group and regain some control over your life, though you never forget the hurt. They say that it's not impossible to go on. But they also said that true love would last forever.  
That's why I don't put much faith into romance novels or teen magazines. You see, besides the obvious point that the stories in them are fictional, they just don't take into account real life or real feelings. Your heart doesn't break literally when the guy you were convinced was your soul mate leaves you, it's more like it slowly decays until you feel hollow and even then the gaping hole where it should have been aches like there is something dark in there trying to claw its way out. And time isn't really the best healer because the hurt festers. I found that amputation –in the metaphorical sense before you all panic- was the best cure for me, and even then it didn't really cure me. I had to shut down the part of me that loved and yearned for Fang because he was gone. He wasn't coming back. And the flock and I had to try and pick up the pieces and move on.  
I didn't do a very good job in the beginning; in fact I was downright pitiful. Nudge spent hours with me as I cried myself into fitful, nightmarish naps. In the four years since he left I don't think I've slept a full night soundly. But I pulled myself together and took over again as leader. I put on a face and made the right decisions for the flock and that's how we ended up here, in rainy ol' Scotland. Far away from the hullaballoo that followed us everywhere in America.  
I consider myself scarred, or as having a disability. I don't function at the same rate I did before when things were simple and Fang was just my best friend, but I can function. I refuse to let it ruin me. I suppose a few incidents across the years made me wake up and realise I couldn't mope because my flock would suffer. And they didn't deserve that. But more on those horrific incidents later.  
So we're living in Scotland, Glasgow to be precise. Fang and his new gang are all over the news to the point where we don't even watch the International stuff anymore, just the local stations in case I hear something like "_Max they've discovered where you are and are coming to get you!_" or the weather guy announces, "_a storm of evil corrupt scientists is about to hit the area searching for previously famous mutants_" or something less dramatic of that sort. You see we realised, the entire flock that is, that living in the limelight was just too dangerous and my old-fashioned "under the radar" technique was actually pretty effective and we live alright. While Fang and his mutants kick-butt and save the world in front of the world we have a small yet cosy flat right in the centre of the city. Being eighteen Iggy and I are now old enough to work and the most fame we get is the growing excitement about the restaurant where Iggy is the "_blind-chef_". It's not world-class food but it's pretty darn good and the flock and I eat for free most nights. I work in an old book store that smells of leather and history. Sounds kinda corny but there's a cute little teashop next door and the old lady that owns it is happy to let me practically run the business for her while she sits and reads her way through decaying copies of old books. I'll read anything that comes through the shop, except the romances. Call me quirky but I prefer the horrors and old fantasy books. The rest of the flock kinda love it here too. Of course Scotland is a lot rainier than I'd like but that's why anyone tracking me that has a clue about me wouldn't think to check the UK. I'm really a sunshine and beach sorta person, but I've found that living here can change a girl. It all sounds very namby-pamby but there's something about the adorable cobbled streets in Glasgow and the country's capital Edinburgh that really makes you think of the past and what the cities, that are much smaller than those in America, must have looked like when the streets were full of horse-drawn carriages and tobacco merchants in grand old houses. The whole flock has developed a real love for history which surprised me as you all know how my attempts at making them learn went previously. Anyway, Nudge really loves it the most here. She does online school because absolutely nothing would convince me to let her go to any of the local ones but I did agree that she could join a theatre group that she fits in perfectly with. Last year I had to spend three gut-wrenching weeks without her as she travelled the country as part of their musical production of _Cats_.  
Now I don't care if it's all part of culture but as someone who is part bird I'm not overly fond of cats, and I had to endure the show three times! Which was complete torture. At least this year the musical is something I wouldn't mind watching, the soundtrack to _We Will Rock You_ has been playing in our flat for a month now and we are all word perfect. She even has a leading role as the part of the Killer Queen. Call me overly maternal if you like but casting a fifteen year old in the role of an evil dominatrix who has a strange thing for leather cat-suits is a little odd, but she has the voice for it and after reading lines with her once or twice she's actually pretty good. I guess all the experience of dealing with evil overlords really gave her the background knowledge she needed to play the part convincingly. Gazzy surprised us all by signing up for the theatre group too. As it turns out the boy is pretty nifty on a guitar, though he was disappointed when none of us wanted to put up with drum lessons. He's going to tour with Nudge and the group this year as part of the band. Aren't we all very talented? Last but not least, Angel, my baby. Yes so maybe in the past she made a couple of bids to become flock leader and overstepped the line a little. But since Fang left and she was almost kidnapped to be taken into the world of underage sex trafficking she's really sobered up to letting me tell everyone what to do and has stopped fighting me at every turn to become the sweet ten year old she should be. Oh yeah the kidnap thing I'll explain a little more later as well. That's one of the 'horrific incidents' I was talking about before. Now Angel does online school and is learning to speak three different languages over the internet. All in all we are surviving on our own with no fights to the death and plenty of food and comfort and I couldn't be prouder of my flock.  
Oh but Dylan you ask? Well he's no longer with us. Not as in he's no longer breathing and kicking about somewhere which I'm sure he still is, but he's not part of our flock anymore. Another incident that had a particular effect on me, I'll tell you. But you must be wondering why I'm bothering to tell you all this. I mean without the fights and the daring rescues and escapes how interesting can our lives actually be? No one wants to hear about in detail how good Gazzy is on a guitar or what drama Nudge is facing with a few of the other actors from school. The reason, my hopefully still faithful readers, is because this peaceful lifestyle has to be just too damn perfect to last. Yes, I am still Maximum Ride. Yes, I'm still in love with my best friend that left us. And yes, I am still just as paranoid as I was on day one. Something is stirring in the winds that funnel down those cobbled alleys in the city and I know its coming to hit us. Whatever it is I want to be ready and I'm hoping you'll stick with us long enough that I can keep you up to date, that is, if I live to tell the end of the story. Fang and his new flock have been nicknamed the _Second Generation_ and according to the headlines I saw walking down the street this morning they haven't been seen in a while. Either whatever evil I'm feeling in the air has nabbed them already, or they are racing it here. I'm going to have to face both of them at some point, so, are you with me?

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_This was just a teaser to give you the gist of what the story set up might be, so I'm being kind and putting the second chapter up right away... I want to know what you think, pretty please! _


	2. Knock, Knock

_Hola readers, so this is the second chapter for the _Second Generation_ and it should give you a better idea of what's coming. I'm feeling good about writing a brand new fic after so long so please let me know what you think! _

_-H_

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**Knock, Knock**

As usual it was raining outside even though it was early June. It was something we'd grown accustomed to, having lived in the country for almost three years. The apartment was looking strangely clean. Nudge was trying to sweeten me up for something, I knew it. The floors were swept, the kitchen was clean, the fridge was stocked and there wasn't one speck of dust lying around. "Okay what do you want?" I was stirring the contents of a can of soup around a pot on the stove, waiting for it to heat up. Nudge was lingering behind me.  
"I want to enrol in the theatre school. Like as an actual full-time student. Please, Max, please?"She said this all in one breath and I sighed. We'd been having this argument for months. The theatre group was called the Youth Royal Academy for the Arts or the YRAA and while Nudge was a part of their after-school and weekend program they offered scholarships for permanent schooling too and she was desperate to apply for one. While the YRAA knew that Nudge was home-schooled under the protection of a legal guardian they weren't aware that really she was living with two eighteen year olds and two younger kids and I figured that if she applied they'd check further into things. "We've talked about this, Nudge."  
"But Mrs Aurelia said she'd put in a word with the director! And she says I'm sure to get a place because I'm part of the out of school program!" Mrs Aurelia was the singing teacher and she knew about us. Her sister had a child that ITEX had experimented on and she knew us from one of the air shows we'd done for the CSM. "I have no doubt that you'd get accepted and that she'd help us cover our tracks but its school Nudge, you'd have day to day classes and if something went wrong and we had to leave-"  
"We haven't had anyone attack us in years Max please! You're the one that said we were moving here so we could live our lives! Please, please, please!"  
"I'll think about it," I said, just to get her to stop nagging. "Seriously I will but I'm just in from work and I'm starving!" I poured the soup into a bowl and turned off the cooker. In my conversation with her I'd burned it.  
She smiled apologetically, "Why don't we go to the Tavern?"Angel and Gazzy appeared in the kitchen doorway, "Oooh yeah the Tavern! It's steak night tonight!"I chucked and poured the soup down the sink. "Get your coats."

The Tavern was the restaurant where Iggy worked. The owner, Tom was the only other person besides Mrs Aurelia in the city that knew about us and Iggy was bringing him big business. The Tavern wasn't huge, it was lit by candles and lots of tables had been crammed in, but the atmosphere was always friendly and the staff were efficient and adored the flock. Jack was at the front podium tonight and gave me a big smile when we came in, "My favourite customers!" he imitated Tom's husky voice and Gazzy and Angel cackled. "I have your usual table ready and waiting!"  
I liked coming here and I liked Jack. He had short dark hair and sparkly green eyes. Nudge had always been rather taken with him though lately I had a feeling she and Angel were conspiring to set him up with me. I was going to have to put a stop to that before he got his hopes up. I got to the table and he held out my chair, maybe it was a little late about the hope. I gave Nudge a tiny shake of my head and a meaningful look but she just beamed at me. There was a large mirror above the table that reflected us all back in it. We had changed in four years in more ways than one.  
We were all older of course. Iggy didn't look like a kid anymore, his cheeks had thinned and he had gotten even taller. Jack gave him our order in the galley and he waved in our direction. I looked to my right at Angel who was slurping down some soda through a bendy-straw, "Not so fast or you will give yourself hiccups."  
She grinned at me. The gap that had been for so long a part of her character was now filled with two slightly too big for her mouth, front teeth. She'd grow into her smile eventually but right now she looked like she tried on somebody else's dentures. Her hair was chin length and was less curly than it had been when she was six but her eyes were just as sparkly blue. On the other side of her Gazzy was drooling over the specials board and asking Jack if he could have extra of everything on his steak. It was extraordinary the change we'd seen in Gaz as he hit puberty, for one his voice was on the brink of breaking so sometimes when he laughed or was surprised he squeaked rather loudly. His hair was slightly longer than it had been before as he tried out a style to go with his new musical career.  
Across from me Nudge was battering her eyelashes at a cute boy at the table behind us. We had managed to find a good hairdresser and some product that had tamed her wild hair so it was short and sleek instead of bushy and her teenage years had been incredibly kind to her. In fact I may have to start installing bars on her bedroom window before long.  
Angel was suddenly in my head, _You've changed too Max_.  
I knew that and I made myself smile at her. In the mirror I saw myself flush which highlighted old scars on my face and the most recent one from a few years ago, across my throat. Feeling self conscious I turned my chin so my hair fell over my shoulder, covering it. It was much longer than I'd ever let it grow before, mainly because I didn't have to constantly worry about someone using it to strangle me in my sleep and I hardly ever flew anymore, so it didn't get in my face as much. Yes I had changed, I was leaner, softer due to the fact I didn't sleep in subways anymore, and I looked after myself better. No twigs in my hair, dirt tans or black eyes and bloody noses, to tell you the truth I'm a little worried I'm losing myself. I haven't been in a fight for three years, what if... well that was the second biggest question. The biggest was _when would it all fall apart_?

We stayed in the Tavern until we were the last guests and Tom was closing. Iggy came out of the kitchen looking exhausted but pleased, "I'm glad you guys came, what did you think of the new sauce?"  
"It was great, Ig. Sit down you look like you're about to drop." I guided him towards a chair and he ran a hand through his messy one really questioned our strange names. They all just presumed we had come from some quirky part of America and accepted them with amused smiles. Jack set down a glass of ice water in front of me which made me jump, "Someone's a little tense tonight," he observed. "You know I've always found a nice massage is great for relieving any stress-"  
"Thanks Jack but really I was just day dreaming and you startled me." I moved forwards away from his advance towards my shoulders.  
Iggy was frowning, "Don't you have some tables to clear?"  
For some reason Ig really had a problem with the waiter who sauntered away. Nudge clicked her tongue, "The plan was working Iggy!"  
"There should be no plan and so I don't get mad, I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."  
Nudge pouted. Iggy's voice was dark, "He's not good enough for Max, he's not good enough for the lobsters we keep in the tank in the kitchens."  
I blinked in surprise but Angel's voice suddenly picked up, "I didn't know you had pet lobsters here!"  
Ah, this presented a new issue, "Angel sweetie," I began. "They don't keep them as pets, honey."  
"Then what are they for?" she asked with wide, innocent showed her the menu, "Haven't you tried the lobster salad from the starters? It's actually pretty good."  
This was a girl who had been experimented on since she was born. She'd been kidnapped, tortured, beaten, bruised, and pushed to her mental and physical limits. She'd slept in tunnels and in trees. She'd seen horrific things from a young age yet still her eyes filled with tears and she rounded on Iggy and I, "No! They don't, they don't eat them!"  
Gazzy cackled, "I hear they scream when the boil them!"  
"How was that helpful?" I demanded as Angel made for the kitchen. "Sweetie, no you can't take them out of the water! Put it down it has claws! Angel!"

In the end Iggy carried a limp, crying Angel from the Tavern and we walked home in silence. I'd given Gazzy a lecture about sensitivity and Nudge one about not setting me up with Iggy's co-workers. I'd also had to wrestle Angel out of the lobster tank as she dipped her head in and screamed at the shelled creatures to fight to the death. I'd been snapped by the little blighters three times since she'd removed the bands they used to keep their claws shut.  
Once the younger two were in bed and Nudge was engrossed in her laptop I collapsed on the sofa next to Iggy. He had a cookbook written in Braille and was learning a new recipe, "I hope that doesn't have lobster in it."  
Ig chuckled good naturedly, "I can't believe she tried to smuggle that one in her coat."  
"I can't believe that tank was so flimsy."  
"Tom won't mind. He thinks Angel is adorable." We sat in comfortable silence for a moment before I asked him quietly, "So what do you have against Jack?"  
Ig grimaced, "He's not a nice guy, Max."  
"Is that why you said he wasn't good enough for me?" He flushed and I smiled, "I appreciate you looking out for me."  
He closed the recipe book, "Did you actually like him, I mean... you don't- date." This topic seemed to be causing him great embarrassment, but he waited resolutely for an answer.  
I paused, "Well... I've never found anyone I really wanted to. Plus we do okay. Between the two of us we can keep this apartment and food on the table. The kids are happy."  
"But are you? Maybe Nudge is right Max, not about Jack. But maybe you should date."  
I digested this, "Thanks Iggy, but don't worry about me. I have you and the flock and we're safe so I'm happy." He didn't look convinced, "I promise if I meet a cute guy that I trust around the rest of you and won't freak when he discovers I have the ability to fly, you guys will be the first to know."  
Iggy grinned, "Okay, I can see how that would be difficult."  
"What about you?" I pressed him. "I'm not the only one that's eighteen and single."  
His sightless eyes went wide and his cheeks reddened. "Uh-" he choked, "No I mean... who am I going to find? I have all the same problems as you do when it comes to dating with the added bonus that I'm blind."  
I swallowed and nodded, "Yeah I guess so. Just don't give up, Ig. There's someone out there for everyone." I stood up to go to bed and he called after me, "I thought you didn't read the crappy romance novels from the shop!"

It was three days later while I was walking down Buchannan Street towards the shop when I noticed something out of the ordinary. Of course in Glasgow you see some funny things day to day, but it was early and most of the stores were still to open. A few buskers were set up and playing slow, sweet tunes on guitars. I saw one guy setting up his bagpipes and didn't envy those in the flats around. I stopped in the nearest Starbucks to grab my caffeine fix for the morning when I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Sarah was the barista behind the counter and since I saw her nearly every morning we got on pretty well. She was always on the early shift.  
"How's you daughter?" I asked her, determined to act as if I thought everything was normal.  
Sarah was a single mum at twenty and worked three different jobs to make ends meet, "She's feeling better. Had such a bad cough last week I had to take her to the doc. But she's back in school this morning."  
I made myself smile at her and accepted my change. As I moved along the counter to collect my coffee I peeked over my shoulder. There were two of them, one had taken a seat by the door without ordering anything and the other was lingering near the counter. I heard Sarah ask, "Can I get you anything sir?"  
He shook his head and grunted. Affronted, Sarah shuffled over to me, "Here's your coffee girl. Have a good day." Her expression indicated she thought hers was about to take a bad turn with the awkward customers. She had no idea. "You're out of napkins," I pointed to the empty holder behind her. It had been full half a minute ago, but they were now in my pocket. I just needed her to grab some more for the back so she was out of harms way. No one else was working this early.  
"You're the best," she said and nipped through the staff door. I turned to face my prospective attackers. For a second no one moved and when I realised they weren't going to immediately jump me I headed for the door, they didn't speak until I touched the handle. "Maximum Ride, is has been quite difficult to find you."  
"I don't know a Maximum Ride. But I'm sure if you check the phonebook-"  
"Oh we know it's you, Maximum." The guy nearest me stood and appraised me, "That scar on your neck is quite an identifier. I'm surprised you survived-"  
My temper flared, "I don't know who you are, who you work for or what you want, but stay the hell away from me. I'm out of whatever sick games I was playing before and I don't want back in. Have a nice day."  
I pushed open the door, "You don't want to save your ex-best friend then!" I couldn't let myself stop though I wanted to. They were talking about Fang.  
Something was wrong, he was in danger. "Why should I care?" I muttered to myself, careful to take a long, strange and winding route to work to shake off anyone tracking me. "He left us. He doesn't want anything to do with us. I'm sure his Second Generation won't abandon him, we wouldn't have. It was his choice."  
The shop was warm and I locked the door behind me, we weren't due to officially open for another half hour. "Good morning Max dear."  
"'Morning Mrs Kowalski, is there anything needing done before we open?"  
"There's a new delivery in the back, I had the nice man carry it in before you arrived. They were early you see. They said they left a note but I can't find my glasses."  
I found myself smiling fondly at her, "They're on the chain around your neck, Mrs Kowalski, as always."  
I went to check on the box in question. It was a lot smaller than our usual deliveries; it could only hold a single book. "Were you expecting any special editions in?" I called out and got no reply. She must have gone to put the kettle on. I used a penknife to open the box and found the note. But it wasn't the scrawl that made me freeze, it was the contents. It wasn't a book, it was a photo album. And the photos were all of children flying. I read the note, _You can try and hide from your past Maximum Ride and you can try and forget. But the past doesn't forget and you can't hide from us forever._

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_Any queries, critisisms or random comments just review, I wanna hear what you think_


	3. Finders Keepers

_A short but significant chapter... as usual please review! _

_-H_

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**Finders Keepers**

"It wasn't signed," I whispered. I had taken the album and the note home and was discussing them quietly with Iggy once everyone else was in bed, asleep.  
He was quiet which made me uneasy, but he had already asked a lot of questions about the different photographs and the arrival of the album, so I presumed he was deep in thought. To leave him to mull it over I made to stand up and find myself a pudding cup from the fridge to calm my nerves. If I kept comfort eating like I did and didn't stop with the 8oz steaks nearly every night at the Tavern when the fight arrived I would be too heavy to get myself off the ground. But before I could pull myself off the sofa Ig's hand came down on my forearm and he pulled me back against the cushions. "Tell me again," he said, an almost angry look on his face.  
I frowned in confusion, "Tell you what?"  
"What those guys said in the coffee shop."  
I repeated to him the entire conversation word-for-word just like I had done before, and the intensity on his face only increased, "Iggy what's wrong?"  
"I think he sent it. Sent them."  
I was stunned. We didn't talk about Fang much, it was a general rule, but I didn't have to ask who Iggy was talking about. "What makes you think that?" I asked very quietly, "Those guys told me he was in danger."  
"Which is exactly what you would need to hear for you to get back in the game, Max, and that's what he will want and be counting on, anyone else would just threaten you or would have taken you straight from the shop rather than leaving this book." I was silent while I thought it through. He had a point that in the past I would have been snatched by force from the coffee shop or on my way to work. I also noticed that he wasn't using Fang's name.  
I looked at him properly, trying to read the emotion in his sightless eyes. "I'm not going running back just because of Fang," I said deliberately. "I'm not going anywhere Ig."  
I thought this might take the edge off whatever it was he was feeling, and for a moment his expression did soften but I didn't relax because he said, "Max this is just another example of the kind of conversation we had the other night, about you not dating. You still have feelings for Fang, and just because you're resisting him now, doesn't mean you're going to be able to forever." I was beyond speechless. "And if I'm right about him sending the album, then he wants you back too, and that will only make it harder Max, I'm sorry."  
He got up and headed in the direction of his bedroom but I stood up and called after him. This may seem sudden to many of you, but for me my relationship with Iggy has been something I've thought about a lot over the last four years. The nature of it changed when Fang left. There was nothing instantly romantic between us, I was too broken for that, but I came to rely on him in ways I hadn't done before, and now he knew me better than I did myself. Maybe even better than Fang, because I had changed, just like Angel had said in the Tavern, not just in looks but in personality too. And now it dawned on me what was bothering Iggy, and what was staring me in the face and I found I wasn't reacting to it in the way I thought I might if confronted by it before.  
As I changed and grew I learned to be more sensitive to the emotions that had scared me before, if I hadn't then Iggy's words and actions would have left me non-plussed. But I understood perfectly. Not really knowing what the hell I was doing or what I was going to say, I made myself go to him and touch his arm.  
"Fang isn't good enough for you anymore, Max," he said. "Just like Jack isn't good enough."  
"You're right," I told him and I saw the surprise skid across his face. In that moment I knew I didn't want to rush a thing. I had too much to figure out about what might be coming for us for things to get potentially messy with Ig, but I wanted him to know I wasn't blind to how he felt. His voice came back to me from the conversation we had about dating, _'Who am I going to find?_' he had said. I reached up on my tiptoes –because he really had outgrown us all- and kissed his cheek lightly. I heard his breath catch and smiled to myself, "Thanks for having my back. Don't mention the album to the others right now, we'll figure it out before we get them upset and frightened."  
At first I thought he was at a loss for words, but then he coughed slightly and said, "They might want to go back too, Max."  
"They can make that choice if it comes to it," I said smoothly, hiding the panic I felt at the thought of losing more of my flock. "But we've made a life for ourselves, Ig, and it wasn't Fang, or Dylan or Jeb or anyone else that did it. It was you and me and we've been safe for three years when before we couldn't even be safe for a day." He flushed, clearly realising that I'd figured him out. "And I'm not ready for that safety to shatter just yet. So we'll fight it."  
The smile that tugged on the corner of his mouth made me smile, "Night Max."  
I made sure that our shoulders brushed as I moved away from him towards the kitchen. I wasn't ready to lie down and pretend to sleep just yet. I heard his door close and sighed, I had almost lost everything by getting in too deep with my best friend once, was it crazy to be risking it all again? I sat on a stool at the breakfast bar and thought about the struggle we'd gone through in setting ourselves up here, getting out of America alive and knew I couldn't have done it without the flock, especially not without Iggy. _Oh Fang_, I thought with a tinge of sadness, _this could have been us. We could have made it if you hadn't left. And if I'm going to take a risk, I'd rather risk my heart which has already been broken, than our new safety that I don't think I could bear to live without. You might just be on your own_.


	4. Sealed With A Kiss

**Sealed With A Kiss**

After that night and my conversation with Iggy, our relationship bloomed much faster than I'd anticipated. And yet, I wasn't panicking in the way I thought I might. Being around Iggy was as easy as breathing and his new-found happiness was infectious, so the whole flat radiated serenity. Nudge especially was suspicious as to what had caused the change, but as far as I knew she hadn't considered it was because of something going on between the two of us. I was however overly-cautious about shielding my thoughts around Angel. Just because I was comfortable about the speed in which Iggy and I had come to be together didn't mean I thought the flock was ready for that bombshell, and he seemed to agree with me, though I suspected it was more due to the fact he liked that our time together was private.  
It was only four days after I'd let him know I felt the same that he kissed me for the first time. I hadn't been expecting it at all since our behaviour towards each other until then hadn't changed much, with the exception that he seemed much more comfortable around me, and would often stay up late so we could have some time alone to chat. But that day I had been chopping up fruit for a snack because I was sick of all the pudding cups and ice-cream when he had appeared in the kitchen behind me. No one else was in, because Nudge and Gazzy had taken Angel with them to the YRAA rehearsals and once his hands had found my waist to steady me when I'd backed into him, he'd almost instantly taken the chance and pressed his lips against mine.  
It was unerring the way his hand found my chin and he titled it up just enough for him to find my lips without really knowing the way. What had surprised me more was my reaction. Kissing Iggy was not like kissing Fang, who had always held me with obvious desire and the two of us were like an out of control bonfire, and it wasn't like any of the few kisses I'd shared with Dylan. In the first second he kissed me I was instantly aware of how much he had wanted this, and for how long, and once I'd realised that I'd wanted it badly myself, I'd melted against him and let my hands clench in the fabric of his shirt. Because he was so much taller, he'd lifted me without warning, onto the countertop, knocking aside the various cookbooks that had been stacked there before, so they scattered across the floor. Then before I could draw breath he'd run his hands through my hair and down my back making me shiver, careful to kiss me with passion but also so softly that I could have been dreaming it.  
The memory of his hands on my waist still sent pleasurable shivers of desire through me, and after that one kiss it was impossible to keep off each other any time we had a minute alone.

There were only a few things that threatened to burst my bubble of happiness in the first week of our relationship. The impending doom of our pasts reuniting with us and the possible arrival of Fang at any moment for one, and the other being that it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep our secrets from the rest of the flock. So one night after dinner, home cooked as it was Iggy's night off from the Tavern, we sat Nudge, Gaz and Angel down and told them about the threats and the album.  
As expected at first they were frightened and confused, but after Angel poetically and heart-warmingly declared that no matter what she would trust my judgement and stay by my side no matter what path I chose, the other two nodded vigorously and we all came together in a hugely mushy group hug. Though we'd considered telling them also about the two of us that night, Ig and I both sensed that they went to bed with enough weighing on their minds without the added, unbalancing notion that even if Fang reappeared, I had found someone else, and very close to home. Not that I was sure I loved Iggy in the same desperate way my heart had yearned for Fang, but I was sleeping more soundly these days, and no longer waking up with a grimace of pain and old memories. Especially not on the nights I found myself waking up in Iggy's arms.  
And so I'm sure you can see that despite our best efforts the flock were soon to find out about us. Very soon considering said best efforts were pitiful to say the least. It was two emotionally-whirlwind weeks after I received that album, two weeks that had brought more excitement and confliction into my life than the whole time we'd been living in Scotland, that it all came to a head.  
The usual routine of spending Friday nights in the Tavern was in full swing, and the restaurant was booming. The flock and I were sitting around our usual table and Jack was busy fluttering his eyelashes my way. Nudge, who had given me an iron-clad promise to stop messing in my love-life, or lack of thereof as she saw it, was pouty since I wouldn't let her chaperone any flirting, while Angel and the Gasman were arguing about the best kind of pet to bring into the apartment. I really shouldn't be surprised that neither of them were backing the usual examples of dogs, cats, rabbits or hamsters. Angel hadn't even considered asking for a pony. Instead Gazzy was in a full lecture about how a Komodo Dragon would be the best kind of guard against burglars and how in addition to them just being superbly awesome, we would have a pet that needed a constantly warm environment, which our flat certainly was. I wasn't kidding about loving the heat, so I suck it up and pay the heating bill so we can all at least feel like we live in the Bahamas. Angel on the other wing was shaking her blond hair and pushing for the miniature-pig- which to me sounded adorable, but not really something I wanted around the house. Not that I was considering the Komodo Dragon either. The closest thing I'd let the flock have to pets was sea-monkeys, and that had ended with Iggy looking for a drink in the middle of the night and finding a cup of what he thought was water... it's fair to point out he's not thrilled about the idea of more water-based creatures lying around.  
Just as I thought of Iggy the usual sensation of longing swept through me, and Angel stopped mid-conversation to look at me in surprise. Instantly I began humming as loud as I could in my head, hoping to block her out, but she'd caught enough to spark her interest. Nudge had noticed her eyes focus on me too, and since it was at the same moment that Jack had leaned over to pour me more ice-water she got completely the wrong idea. "I'm going to the bathroom!" I announced a little too loudly, jumping up from the table in an effort to get away from my young, adorable mind-reader. However, as I stepped back, I bumped into Jack who spilled the jug of water over us both.  
I froze out of embarrassment and habit while Jack grinned and offered me a towel. Nudge was giggling behind me, which only made things worse but the real tragedy hit when Iggy came out of the kitchen to join us for dessert just as Jack ran a towel under my chin and said, "Sorry about that Max, I'm sure I can find a spare shirt if you need something dry."  
It's not that I bought that as an innocent comment or anything, but even without Angel's glimpse of my feelings for Iggy in my thoughts, the flock would have been alerted to something when Iggy grabbed Jack by the scruff of the neck and threw him against the nearest wall, "Keep your hands off her," he snarled and I reached for his arm. Jack was pinned back and most of the restaurant was focussed on us. Tom even came out of the kitchen in time to witness his waiter gasp for breath when I forced Iggy to let go of his throat, and sink to the floor.  
"Iggy it's fine, he didn't touch me, come on now back off." I put myself between the wheezing Jack and the furious Ig, pressing my hands against his chest and moving with him so he had no choice but to walk backwards. I could feel his heartbeat pounding against my right hand and I touched his face. "Ig, please come on the flock are right behind you."  
"I don't care," he snapped, more at Jack than me, "I don't like the thought of him anywhere near you."  
"You could have just said that you wanted her for yourself," Jack countered, rising to his feet and sneering at Iggy. "It seems she's pretty interested considering she's backing you off before I could rearrange your face."  
"I'd like to see you try," Iggy shot back with just as much menace, "Now get the hell out of here and if you touch her again, even be accident, I'll end you."  
Jack stood for a moment before Tom came forward and folded his arms across his chest, "You heard my Head Chef, boy, you've been nothing but trouble since the moment you came here. Clear out."  
His face went white with shock or fury, I couldn't tell, "But Tom!"  
"I warned you, Jack, that with a past like yours you had one chance, and you've blown it. Get out of my restaurant."  
The look Jack threw over his shoulder at us made me certain I'd just made a new enemy. Whatever kind of past this boy had, his crush on me had lost him his stability, and I was sure he wasn't going to put it down to a fact of life. He was going to come looking for revenge. "Great," I muttered to Iggy. "Way to not make a scene." But I was so distracted by the look on his face when I glanced up at him that I couldn't be angry. His expression was torn between fear and rage, and I knew he'd regretted flying off the handle. Then I remembered that he probably knew Jack's past, since he'd warned me off him so many times, and realised it might not all have been because of jealously. He knew Jack was dangerous, and knew he'd probably just targeted us all.  
"I hated the thought of him anywhere near you," he muttered so softly I wasn't sure I'd heard him, but in response, ignoring the flock I buried my face in his chest and let him wrap his arms around me. "Sorry Tom," I heard him say to his boss.  
"He was just a waster looking for trouble," he replied in his husky voice, "I can understand why you wouldn't want him near Max and the others. I'll get one of the others to take over the rest of you shift and bring you all out some food and wine." I felt Iggy nod in appreciation before my sharp hearing caught the first of the stunned whispers between the gob-smacked flock. I tensed at the same time as Iggy, but after a moment he sort of shrugged and pulled away from me, taking my hands.  
"Sorry Max," he said quietly. The other patrons in the room had gone back to their meals now the excitement was over, but the flock were watching with dropped jaws, "Really I am, for causing a scene, but not for exposing us." And before I could utter a word of protest or explanation he took my chin in his hand and kissed me. Right there. In front of everyone. In front of the flock who gave a new meaning to the phrase dumb-struck. When he steeled himself to break away from me I squeezed his hand tight in mine and looked over his shoulder to grin at Angel.  
"You've been hiding this from us for over a week!" she cried in disbelief, almost as if she couldn't fathom me actually being able to keep it from entering my thoughts.  
"You guys must just not have being paying attention," I laughed and Iggy came to stand behind me with his arms around my waist. He bent his chin to rest on my shoulder and smiled happily. Nudge found her voice enough to rush as many words together as she could until she ran out of breath in a phrase that sounded something like:  
"!" Then she took a massive breath and said, "I can't BELIEVE you two kept this from us!"  
"You think you can handle it?" Ig asked, teasingly.  
"You and Max?" Gazzy managed, his voice doing that adorable squeaky thing, "You and... well, yeah," he said faintly, then he smiled big, "That's awesome!"  
I dragged Iggy back over to the table and settled down beside him, across from the others. All conversation about our relationship was momentarily dropped when the treacle tart arrived and the embarrassing questions were exchanged for declarations of love for pie. In the moment I had to breathe I glanced up at the mirror that showed me the rest of the diners. Most of the tables were couples or families, though in the centre two businessmen appeared to be discussing something with very serious expressions. I was about to look away when a lone figure caught my eye.  
He had been sitting very discretely at the table in the corner, hidden mostly in shadow. He must have come in after we did because otherwise I was sure I'd have noticed, but now all I saw was his back as he made a hasty retreat through the side door and into the alley. Part of me wanted to get up and follow and make sure I had it right. The other part of me didn't need to know, and told me to stay right where I was, with Iggy and the flock, because underneath every happy smile and ounce of desire I had for Ig, I would know the set of those shoulders anywhere. I dreamt about them most nights, what it felt like to cry against one, how they had set rigid like that when he was upset or mad at me. But mostly I knew that above those shoulders was the face that haunted most of my thoughts, no matter who I was with or how contented I was. And it wasn't my imagination. He had actually been here tonight to witness everything. He was back. _Fang_, I thought and my reflection paled.


	5. Life After You

_I've put up two chapters tonight because this one is so short... let me know what you think :) _

_-H_

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**Life After You**

I wanted to get up from the table and race out into the alley after him. I wanted to make sure I was dreaming, in other words. But reality was suffocating me and I knew if I went out there I wouldn't like what I found. So like a coward I stayed put, forcing myself to lie to the flock and claim I had a headache from so much rich food and the ice-cream Tom had provided for afters. I made myself walk with hollow legs back to our flat, feeling like there were a million eyes trained on me. I made myself kiss Iggy goodnight before I finally got to lock myself in my bathroom, turn on the shower and cry like the scared, small girl I felt like. What now?

The answer came to me the next morning, when my alarm went off to add grumpy to my already over-packed mood that included, sad, confused, terrified and furious. Of all the luck in the world Fang would show up _now_. Just as I had moved on. Either fate has a really twisted sense of humour or that boy has the worst possible timing. Either way I had decided that there was nothing I could do. I had chosen this life, after he had made his choice, and I had chosen Iggy. So I got up for work, dressed, forced down three helpings of fresh pancakes and put in a long day in the shop. And you know what, there was no gunfights, no kidnappings and no surprise visits. I had the most normal day in the history of my three years here... two things: one, when was it all gonna go kapoot? And two, why did I feel oddly... disappointed?


	6. Whispers

_I want to keep the pace of the story as steady as possible, I've had a tendancy in the past to drag things out, so please let me know if you think I'm rushing or need to speed up with the story :) _

_-H_

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**Whispers**

For the next few days I felt eyes on me. At first I wasn't sure but as the hours passed I could feel them trained on my back and the flock were on the verge of noticing my tension. So far I'd done damn well putting my nerves and quick temper down to headaches and cramp but it was only a matter of time. Iggy and I hadn't spent much time alone together since the night at the restaurant, he'd been working longer hours and I'd been spending more and more time out in the streets, scanning the covers of newspapers, scouting out the coffee shops, looking for any definitive sign that the _Second Generation _were in the city, which was suddenly feeling a lot more hostile. A small voice inside of me was seething. How dare they come _here_ to the one place we'd made safe for ourselves, but another part of me knew that there had to be a good reason and hated being left out of the loop.  
A few times during my wanderings around the familiar streets I thought I saw a dark haired shadow several people in front of me, but when I pushed my way forwards and broke through the crowd he was never there. Was I losing my mind? I began to think so and on the fourth night I was lying awake, staring at my ceiling, convincing myself that I hadn't spotted him at all before and at some point I must have drifted off, because I was suddenly aware that someone was softly trying to wake me up.

I stirred and felt for the sheets that had fallen around my waist, attempting to pull them up over my head and block out the cold draft that had snuck into my room. There were hands on my shoulders, gently shaking me against the pillows. I groaned, resenting the disruption and the temperature change in my bedroom. If this was Iggy coming home from work and attempting to sweeten me up he was barking at a very sleepy tree who was about to punch him. Just as I was about to lash out in a major overreaction I heard a soft, amused chuckle that made me go cold to my core.  
"You're so stubborn Max," he whispered into my ear, "Wake up sleeping beauty, we have to talk."  
The window was open, that's why it was cold and that's how he'd found his way in. My eyes flew open and I found myself staring directly into a pair of dark, obsidian irises. I gasped silently and the cold that had brought me to my sense changed its mind and melted into fire; he was leaning over me, his hands light on my arms, his body hovering inches above mine. "Max," he murmured when he saw the unasked question in my despite myself, as if my body was acting without my minds consent, I arched my back and closed the gap between us. My hands clenched in the fabric of his shirt and his arms encircled me. He didn't immediately respond when I kissed him, I could fear his hesitation almost as strong as his desire, but when I didn't jump away and exclaim in self-disgust he brought me closer to him. The muscles in his arms were as strong as steel but I didn't feel crushed, the weight of him felt familiar, comfortable. My hands wound their way into his dark hair and he made a low noise in the back of his throat, before skimming his hands over my waist, placing them on the mattress either side of me, and lifting himself off and away from my grip. He looked down at me, a breathless grin on his face, "Now that was a welcome home even I wasn't expecting," he said and I blushed.  
"I'm sorry, I don't know what happened." I couldn't sit up without pressing myself against him but I didn't like lying back against my pillow in nothing but a loose tank top and sleeping shorts, with him staring down at me. The light in his eyes told me that if it wasn't for the desperate need for us to talk he wouldn't be keeping me at such a distance.  
His voice was deep and had a rough edge, "There's no need for apologies."  
"Yes there is, there's also a need for boundaries," I hinted.  
His grin turned to a sly smirk and he sat back, giving me enough space to shimmy up so I was leaning against the headboard. I hugged a cushion to my stomach and watched him watch me, "What are you doing here, Fang?"  
"Apart from reuniting…"  
"I wasn't aware a reunion was ever on the cards," I snapped. "And certainly not with you sneaking in after following me around for days."  
"How else was I supposed to find the best time to talk to you? Your usually with the flock, or out in public where people will notice if you start throwing things at me…" his eyes danced, "Including yourself."  
He got a pillow to the face and I glowered, "A moment of weakness." Before he could retaliate I kicked out, aiming to push him from the bed, but he caught my ankle and hauled me towards him. Years of arguing without the flock ever hearing meant we could attack each other practically silently, so he only made a very soft grunt of pain when I jammed my elbow into his ribs. "I know you're hurt Max and I know you're angry"  
"You don't know anything, you don't know me, not this me."  
He pinned me under him and whispered into my ear, "You'll always be my Max, no one, not you, and definitely not Ig will ever change that."  
I had so much I wanted to accuse him of, so much I wanted to scream at him, but nothing was so important to me as much right then as indulging the small part of me that agreed with him. He still had a grip on my knee from where he'd grabbed at my leg to stop me kicking him, and instead I wrapped my legs around him and locked my ankles. I could feel him smile against the soft skin of my neck and I grit my teeth, "Stop being so pleased with yourself."  
He met my eyes, "I'm just pleased to have you back," and then he kissed me… and that's when I woke up.

The living room was bathed in rare mid-morning sunshine when I stumbled out of my room, sleepy-eyed and still in my pjs. The TV was blaring loudly in the background and for all extents and purposes I could have been looking into a regular family living room. Instead I was looking at the calm, innocently ignorant faces of my flock; eating, laughing and strumming away on guitar, complete unawares of the bombshell I was about to drop.  
"'Morning Max!" Angel sang, she was sitting on the floor at Nudge's feet having her hair braided.  
I attempted a smile and made for the fridge and orange juice. Iggy was frying eggs and smiled when he heard me approach, "You're up late."  
"Uh yeah… dreaming I guess," I replied in a mutter. I rubbed a hand across my eyes and tried to figure out how best to put this, of course I'd forgotten completely about Angel.  
"What that about Fang?" she called over and the room seemed to go still. From the look on my face they must have guessed that something was up, and Angel's query hadn't come from an errand wistful thought about our ex-flock-mate. Gazzy hit the mute button and the TV shut up and Iggy seemed to have frozen by the cooker, which I promptly turned off before he could burn the place down.  
"We need to talk," I told them, resting the carton of juice on the counter. I tried my best to ignore the fact that Iggy was frowning and addressed the rest of the gang.  
"-You were thinking about him," Angel said quietly, "You've seen him?"  
I nodded, "At first I thought I'd imagined it," I admitted, "But that night in the restaurant, when Jack got fired-" (and Iggy and I told you about us, I added mentally) "I saw someone that looked like him leaving in the mirror… and since then I've just had this weird feeling in my gut."  
"Maybe you're just missing him," Iggy suggested snidely.  
"Or maybe it's your conscience," Nudge blurted before I could correct him. I looked at her blankly and she flushed, "Well, you and Ig have just started dating and… maybe you saw someone you thought was Fang because part of you feels-" she blew air out of her cheeks, "however it is you feel when you've moved on from the first guy you ever loved."  
I opened my mouth and closed it again very quickly, shutting down all memories of the dream I'd just woken from. The room echoed in silence and I broke it with a cracked voice, "It's not just a feeling," I insisted, "They're here, I _know_ it, and you guys need to as well before they finally decide to show themselves."  
The Gasman looked thoughtful, "You haven't actually spoken to him though?" He had the best view of Iggy's face and I guessed that this question was more a prompt.  
I smiled reassuringly, "If I had you'd have known about it before now. Guys, at first I thought it was just a shadow, and then I had a hunch. I can't describe it… but they're here, I've felt like there's been something big coming ever since that album arrived. Everything that's been happening up until now has been a warning. And I just want us to be prepared." But for what I wasn't yet sure.


	7. Fear and Luck

_Hey hey readers :) Slightly disappointed at the lack of reviews for this fic but I'm enjoying writing it so I'm not too discouraged. Hope you enjoy :) _

_-H_

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**Fear and Luck. **

Iggy stayed in my room with me that night. Part of me felt comforted, the other part wondered if I'd dream about Fang again. I woke with his arm underneath me, having slept dreamlessly, and rolled around to watch him.  
Everything about Iggy was becoming to familiar to me, the shape of his mouth, the soft skin of his eyelids that looked bruised in the soft light that was peeking through the curtains. He was restless with worry, even when he was sleeping; terrified that one day he was going to wake up and find us all gone. I know because he'd told me as much last night.  
"I don't like it, Max," he'd said. "That you can just sense when he's near, it's like subconsciously you want him to come back and turn it all upside down. You deserve more, we've been through too damn much-!" he'd broken off and gently traced the scar along my throat, even though he couldn't see it, he could feel the raised tissue where the blade had dragged through my skin. "You've been hurt so bad in the past, I just don't see why we have to keep looking back to it."  
I'd kissed him then, mainly to shut him up before I'd started over thinking things, but also because I couldn't stand the lost looking on his face. And now he looked just as lost, so I stretched up and lightly kissed the corner of his shivered at sensing someone so close and I felt his heartbeat quicken as he woke, "Good morning," I whispered, burying into his neck.  
"Mmmh," he replied sleepily. His arm curled around me and we lay there, unspeaking for a few moments. "I guess today's the day," he said, his voice rough. "When do you think they'll make their move?"  
"I don't know," I said honestly, "Though right now I just want to lie here with you and pretend that none of this is happening."  
Ig rolled over so I was underneath him and kissed my collarbone. "I'd lock you in here with me forever if you wouldn't resent it in the end, Max. You're many things but one is not a caged bird, I've always known that you need to be free." It seemed uncanny that two nights in a row I'd found myself pinned down in my own bed by two of the only boys I'd ever cared for, even if one only had been a dream. My reaction with Iggy was less fierce but no less felt; I put my arms around his neck and touched our foreheads together, "Free to choose who and what I want," I pointed out.  
He kissed me just as the door opened and Nudge put her head round. "Sorry lovebirds," she said with a rueful grin, "But Max has a message, from the shop. I know it's your day off but something has come up."  
I groaned as she shut the door and kissed Ig's cheek, "Just our luck." I had no idea.

I reached the end of the alley and turned around, knowing I would come face to face with him. "You could have just asked to talk, rather than trick me, then stalk me," I started as I turned, before I jumped about a mile because he was much closer than I'd been expecting, his face just inches from mine.  
I recoiled and took another step back towards the dead-end. The message hadn't been from the shop, it had just been a ploy to get me out of the house alone. I should have realised. "You could have made it slightly easier to find you. It's only taken me two years."  
The sound of his voice brought back a million-and-one memories, the last of them too painful for words. "You left us," I pointed out in a whisper, glad I'd remembered to say "us" and not "me". "Why should I leave a trail of breadcrumbs I didn't believe you'd follow and risk us getting caught by the wrong person?"  
Fang's eyes were unreadable. This reunion was nothing like my dream. It had been four years since I'd seen him in the flesh; after that only in the occasional press photographs. I suddenly remembered that in one of them he'd had his arm around a pretty red-head, and felt my chin rise in defiance and as much as I hated to admit it, petty jealousy. "Where's your entourage? I didn't think you went anywhere without a pack of journalists foaming at the mouth these days."  
If my baiting upset him he didn't show it, instead he answered calmly, "I let them go so I could try-out an old, well-road-tested tactic of "lying low". It's worked well so far, and I do believe I have you to thank for that." He was mocking me, I was sure of it. What I wasn't sure of was what to do? I wanted to run, scream, cry, kick him and kiss him all at the same time, and my dilemma must have shown on my face because he sighed and took a step towards me, "Max-" he broke off, confused as without consciously realising I had hastily moved away from him until my back was against the wall.  
It hit me then what I was feeling above and beyond anything else, and it made me go cold to the bone. It was fear. I was _afraid_ of the guy who had kept me sane through childhood, who had held me when I'd cried, who I'd shared my most personal secrets with. My first love. And that was exactly why. Because I had given him so much that he could use to hurt me; my every hope and fear, that instinctually I was terrified of him. I wanted to be sick and from his expression so did he. Because he knew. Even though we'd both changed so much he could still read my every thought from my eyes and he saw it all shield myself from the dawning horror that had come over us both I shut them so he could see no more.  
I saw behind my lids the tiny details of the ways he had changed. His slightly shorter hair, his more prominent cheekbones, the slight stubble around his chin and lips... the thought of those lips on mine. Closing my eyes had done no good. He just read it all from my mind instead. "Max-" he choked when I finally looked at him. He too had backed up a few paces and was looking more horror-filled than I had ever seen him, because I'd finally done it- I'd shown him how completely he'd broken me, and in the few seconds he'd had to endure my pain, I had relived it too.  
"I can't do this right now, Fang," I said in a whisper, "Not like this, just us, in some alley. I think we should talk with the flock and your gang around-" Because I need a reason not to throw myself at you and kiss you before I kill you, I added mentally. I need boundaries. Boundaries like Iggy. I read that from his eyes that had suddenly turned accusing, and I swallowed hard. To get out of there as fast as possible I quickly told him the address of our flat in the city, "Tomorrow after dark. Use the front door like normal people. We've kept up a regular life here for three years- try not to ruin it." We both flinched at that, and before he said a word I pulled up my hood against the sudden downpour and ran past him into the crowded street and didn't stop until I arrived home, sopping wet and tear-stained.

The flock was tense about the Second Generations impending arrival, and I began to wish I'd mentioned a less private meeting place; like a hotel bar, rather than our home. When Iggy suggested for the fourth time that I change the details of the meet I snapped, "I don't exactly have his cell number so I can just call him up!"I'm not sure if he was more frustrated or relieved by that.  
I had left the doors to our little roof terrace open just in case anyone needed a quick escape –including me- and was standing beside them seriously contemplating going for a quick flight to calm my nerves when there was a soft knock on the door. We all froze. Nudge and Angel came to stand near me, by the doors while Iggy braced his hands on the breakfast bar, his knuckles white. Gazzy got the nod from me and opened the were three of them. Fang, flanked by two members of his gang. Ratchet I knew from the papers, and a red-haired girl who got my blood boiling at the sight of her. It had certainly gotten off to a good wasn't looking overly pleased at the defensive positions we were all in, and flinched at the cold look the Gasman threw him before he came to sit in the armchair nearest me. The Second Generation lingered by the doorway. While I watched them carefully take in our home, something uneasy settled in my gut. This had been a huge mistake.


	8. Mirror, Mirror

_A slightly shorter chapter before a longer one with some answers... I promise :P And thanks for the few reviews I've had, might not be many yet but certainly encouraging. Thanks :) _

_-H_

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**Mirror, Mirror**

They took in our apartment with a practiced eye and incredulous looks. I shifted uncomfortably and Angel took my hand. I could see Ratchet trying half-heartedly to hide his admiration of our home, the fact we'd managed to hold down a home, while Fang just looked around in blank disbelief. We'd done our best to decorate the flat to suit our family. The sofas were all low down, made from old pallets that had brought us crates of books and food to work, with large squishy cushions and woollen blankets for when it got cold. There was a wall of shelves that housed books, dvds and various mementos from our travels; shells from Hawaii, leaves from Colorado, a Mickey Mouse statue from our trip to Walt Disney, a keychain from New York and various other bits and bobs.  
The doors to the bedrooms led off that wall, and the kitchen was lit by fairy lights under the cupboards and the fridge which was midnight black had been scribbled all over with a white pen like a chalk board; reminders to buy food, messages from work, rehearsal schedules from the YRAA.  
It was a home, and it felt like they were invading it. Iggy was standing statue still, staring unseeing accusingly in the _Second Gen's _general direction. I cleared my throat and broke the silence first, "What brings you to Glasgow?"  
"A number of things," Fang replied with an odd look at Iggy who obviously didn't see it. "We have business here, and things were getting a little heated in America." Well we knew what that was like. I crossed my arms and stared him down, "We were also trying to find you, Max. Have been for a long time now."  
"Well you've found me, I'm right here," I snapped, "What now?"  
Fang frowned unhappily, "This isn't quite what I had in mind-" he was meaning the intense living room with lots of other people listening in.  
"Whatever you have to say you can say in front of my flock."  
"They were once my flock too," he added darkly and I glowered.  
"That was your choice."  
Ratchet moved his weight from one foot to the other and nudged Fang, "You said you weren't gonna fight man, you knew she'd be mad."  
My respect for the mutant went up just a little, but it was their third companion that really put an edge to the night. "Then why did we even bother? _Look_ at this place! You came looking for a warrior and found a house-mom, she's hopeless."  
My teeth bared in response to this and Angel squeezed my hand warningly. Fang tried to negotiate her shutting her mouth over his shoulder but I interrupted, "If you wanted this to be diplomatic you shouldn't have brought _her_."  
"He didn't want to," Angel put in with her telepathic insight, "But she insisted. She wanted to see how… how weak we've all become."  
The flock radiated fury and Fang held up his hands, "Alright, it was a bad move, Maia maybe you should step out-"  
"_Maia_!" My snort of derision cut him off, "My God you could have at least changed it to something a little _less _like my name." She might all of a sudden have scarlet hair but she was instantly recognisable now her face wasn't a blurry smudge in a newspaper. "You're pathetic," I told Fang, "And your wrong," I added to the Max-impersonator, "We are not weak, we've succeeded in doing what no other mutant has been able to even try. We've made a home and a life for ourselves here, with no scientific help, no government funding and no more fights to the death."  
"That makes you weak!"  
"That makes us survivors, rather than being a failed experiment trailing around in a better mutant's shadow," I hissed and I saw the expression that I usually wore when my blood boiled. "You may look like me, or at least you used to, but you will never _be_ me, Max II."  
With some effort she reigned in her anger, "Why on earth would I want to be _you_? But nice speech."  
"Nice hair," I commented snidely.  
"Nice scar," she shot back and I flushed. I looked at Fang who had gone very still as he took in one of the details he'd missed in the alley due to the shadows and rain. But here, in our brightly lit apartment, it was all too visible running across my throat.  
I swallowed hard and made my tone softer, "Maybe we should talk outside."


	9. Broken Things

_Well hey there :) Back from Spain and had an awesome time writing in the stunning sunshine which we see waay too little of in rainy ol' Scotland. So yes, I'm back, with the post holiday blues so I thought I'd cheer myself (and hopefully some of you) up by updating the next chapter :) _

_As usual please do let me know what you think :) _

_-H_

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**Broken Things.**

"What happened?"  
I couldn't identify the tone of his voice, but the expression in his eyes was difficult to misdiagnose: pain. I swallowed hard, "A lot has happened since- you left. We had to get out of America." I was hyper-aware of the flock, Ratchet and Maia behind him, still in the living room, the balcony doors were open and the night air freezing. He took a step towards me but I held up my hands, "It's much easier if I get it all out- no interruptions." I knew he would find this hard to hear, even if he had chosen to leave. He nodded after a long moment and I sighed, resigning myself to tell our story. "After -the wedding… we crashed at my mom's for a bit, hoping to get some time away from it all, but what we didn't know was that Dr G-H wasn't finished with us. One night, I was out flying with Dylan-" I didn't stop when Fang flinched "-And then out of the corner of my eye I spotted orange light." I grit my teeth. "I should have started to spot the signs then, but I was too distracted by the fire and getting everyone out." Fang's eyes were dark with knowledge, and for this detail at least, I understood he already knew, and therefore didn't voice it. I hadn't succeeded that night; the flock had survived… my mom hadn't.  
"After that I felt more lost than ever, so Dylan suggested a vacation to the beach." I hated that I was admitting how much I'd come to rely on him after Fang left. "While in Florida we kept running into trouble; cornered by 'bots, shot at on the street, Angel was almost kidnapped in the Mall and taken to the world of sex trafficking-" Fang's reaction this time was more tangible and harder to ignore; panic and fury. I grimaced in agreement, "I took care of it." Now came the hard part. "I decided we had to leave the States, it was too dangerous to stay. Dylan was surprisingly against it, so I made the arrangements without him. We were in Boston, and one of the Navy ships from Hawaii was in port; I organised for safe passage to Europe. The night before we left-" My voice got dead quiet, "We found out the cause of our misfortune; and before I could take him apart… he had a knife on my throat."  
The room was silent- and then Fang broke down.

It wasn't an obvious hysterical episode, but as I watched it was like something just broke inside him. Small starbursts of anguish exploded behind his familiar eyes and his expression that was always set in stone, crumpled.  
Despite the fact I had expected him to be hurt by what he heard while I explained how our friend Luitenant Ross -whose Uncle was Iggy's boss Tom- had come just in time to find me choking helplessly on my own blood while Dylan made his escape with the hunting knife, and how the flock and I had fled to Paris, then Rome and Vigo before finally settling in Glasgow, was nothing short of gut-wrenching.  
I knew what he was thinking, that as long as he lived he would never forgive himself. Almost without thinking he reached out to touch my scar, before thinking better of it and cupping my cheek instead, keeping me at arms length. "_Max_," he whispered and it was at the utterly broken-hearted pain in his voice, that Iggy lost his patience.

"What right do you have to pretend like you care," he snarled.  
Fang's expression was black with fury, "I didn't leave because I stopped caring. Max knows that-" though he shot me a fleeting, vulnerable look, "And how can you suggest this is my fault, where were you while she was being savaged by someone the flock chose to accept?"  
Ig flushed and I stepped between them, "Enough guys, I don't want to hear any more."  
"Well would you like to know what I want?" Fang was completely out of control, still quiet but he looked like he was going crazy inside.  
Iggy sneered -"Enlighten us"- but Fang's gaze was locked on me, and mine on him, "How long was it, after I left? Before your _Mr Perfect_ tried to kill you… or after?"  
The room echoed as even Iggy had nothing to say. "That's not fair," I whispered. I could only imagine how he'd felt witnessing Iggy kiss me that night. We stared each other down until his anger lost its edge. He looked between Ig and I, "So, this is how it is now?"  
I nodded, incapable of speech. "Well then," Fang said, sounding forcefully polite and formal through his bitterness, and I swear I saw Maia smirk, "I wish you both a lifetime of happiness."  
The two members of the _Second Generation _followed him towards the door, "And Ig," he called, "You better take better care of her, because I'll always be around." And then he was gone, with the last words coming from Maia, her voice echoing through the hallway and chilling me to my bones, "I _told you_ she was broken."


	10. Through the Looking Glass'

_So much still to happen, I'm starting to get really excited about writing the next few chapters now so here's a nice cutesy family time constrasted with a little teen angst just to get you in the mood for some twists and turns :) As usual please review! _

_-H _

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**Through the Looking Glass **

I heard the door shut and soft footsteps approaching. I was reading quietly in my favourite spot on the balcony patio, a blanket pulled over my legs. Angel and Nudge had gone out for dinner after shopping and I knew that the Gasman was out with some friends from the YRAA so I hadn't imagined I'd be interrupted.  
Iggy threw his jacket down on the sofa, which he knew drove me nuts as I had taken to keeping our flat relatively tidy, and made his way towards the sound of my breathing. "Am I interrupting something?" he asked when I sighed softly and shut my book.  
"No, not really, I was just in other world."  
"Nothing out of the ordinary then." There was something in his voice that caught my attention. For the past week he'd been acting oddly and I knew the reason why, we just hadn't had the time to talk about the visit from the _Second Generation. _I stood up and brushed past him, back into the flat, picking up his jacket and hanging it on the hook behind the front door. "Why don't you tell me what's on your mind, Ig."  
"I could ask you the same," he retorted, "You've been in your own head, absorbed with nothing but _his _reappearance all week. You've barely eaten or slept…"  
"You're not eating or sleeping either, Iggy, I'm worried about you."  
"I'm worried about _you _and your desire to be around him, you've been moping, sad he hasn't come grovelling back since he found out about us."  
I grit my teeth and prodded his chest, "I am _not _moping! And yes I wish he hadn't been so hurt by finding out about us, but that doesn't mean…" I focused on the vulnerable look on his face and took his hand in mine, "That doesn't mean that I want him and not you. That doesn't mean that I'm not happy. I don't want the publicity of them being around, I don't _want _this life to end." _But that doesn't mean it won't, _I added mentally and Ig pulled me in and wrapped his arms around me. I lifted my chin to look at him, and sensing it he bent his head to kiss me. It wasn't like our brief, comfortless kisses of the past week, but lingering and it sent shivers up my spine. I wanted to be held, to feel like I could relax and enjoy the feeling of being loved by someone. I went up my tiptoes because he'd grown so much taller and wound my fingers into his soft hair. He stopped being so gentle and crushed me into his chest, deepening the kiss and taking hold of my hips, "We have the flat to ourselves?" he checked and I smiled.

When I woke I was tucked into my covers, curled on my side. I was wearing one of Iggy's t-shirts which was much too big and hung off one shoulder, leaving it bare. He was making a circle of kisses on my shoulder-blade and I smiled in pleasure at the feeling of his lips on my skin. "You're awake."  
"Mmmh," I replied, my eyes still closed. The curtains were open and the rare sunlight pouring into the room, bathing it in warmth. "What time is it?"  
"Barely ten."  
I rolled over and kissed his chin, "Then it's not urgent for either of us to move any time soon, it being Saturday and all."  
His lips met mine and he pulled me closer, making an impatient noise when the covers got between us. I suppressed a giggle when there was a knock on the door and he pulled a face, "They have the worst possible timing."  
He had been most unimpressed last night when he'd gone to the effort of carrying me to the sofa and working through the majority of the buttons of my shirt, only for the flock to burst through the front door. And now all three of them were grinning broadly from the doorway, carrying a breakfast tray filled with pancakes and glasses of orange juice. "Breakfast in bed!" Angel announced, jumping on me. I nudged Iggy so he'd let me up and arranged the pillows to that the entire flock could pile in and the Gasman dished the food. Right then I realised that no matter what happened this is the feeling I wanted to keep; family.

Fang was missing his family. He had set up the _Second Generation _in a small penthouse directly opposite the flat that Max had bought. In the early morning, unable to sleep, he'd wandered out onto the small metal balcony to gulp down as much fresh air as he could, trying desperately to forget the dream he'd endured during the night. Where he'd been bent over Max, a hunting knife in his hand, pressing the blade against her sleeping throat.  
Dylan might have been the one to wield the knife in reality, but there was still so much Max didn't yet know, and little of it she would like. It was as he was thinking of her, that he glanced across the street towards their home and saw something through a window that made him ache with loneliness.  
Despite the fact she didn't sleep well in the light, Max hadn't bothered to draw her curtains the evening before. He'd watched her reading on the balcony, until Iggy had come home and she'd retreated inside. He'd tried not to notice how he'd swept her up and deposited her on their couches, and had been all too relieved when the flock had noisily barged in. He hated feeling like he was spying on her, but now, seeing her waking in _his _arms, the entire flock piling into bed with breakfast trays and all smiles… if there was a game they were playing he felt like he'd already lost, no matter what the outcome. He'd lost his family.  
There was a noise behind him and Maia appeared on the balcony beside him, wearing only a black shirt and very short sleeping shorts; Fang wished she'd wear more. Despite her various attempts to seduce him, Maia could never be Max, and he would never love anyone but the real Max, his Max.  
"You're still obsessing over her," she said in a tone that suggested she as bored of his heartsickness. Fang didn't answer, just looked out towards the flock, not really seeing them. Maia followed his gaze, "Well don't they look idyllic."  
"They've found peace," Fang said quietly, "I'd never begrudge them that."  
"Do you wish you'd stayed, to see her hook up with the blond?"  
If I'd have stayed she wouldn't have, Fang thought, and again said nothing of what he was really thinking aloud. Maia rolled her eyes, guessing what he was keeping to himself, "You're better off now." She battered her eyelashes and took a step the window Fang saw Max laugh and kiss a droplet of jam off the end of Iggy's nose.  
"I mean- all she's concerned about is those kids, not you, not what you need."  
They were making to move now, Iggy scooped Angel up in his arms and Max smiled adoringly at them; much like the smile she used to reserve for him.  
"She's never going to truly be able to love anyone, Fang, she's too broken."  
Nudge was gathering the breakfast things and Max stretched as her feet touched the floor, the shirt of Iggy's she was wearing rising slightly to expose her toned stomach.  
"I'm not broken though, and really I'm a better version of her."  
The room across the road was empty and so was Fang. Maia touched his arm and in surprise he looked down at her, thinking she needed to re-dye her hair, because her darker roots were showing. Mistaking the hollow look in his eyes for agreement and something along the lines of desire, Maia stretched up to kiss him. For a second he could allow himself to believe that the soft lips belonged to the real Max, but there was something in the set of her shoulders, the touch of her skin, the smell of her hair… it wasn't right. Fang broke away with a noise of impatience, more with himself than her and in the next second took off into the air, not caring that it was broad daylight on a busy weekend, and not noticing the flash of a camera far bellow as he soared out to share his loneliness with the sky and clouds.


	11. All These Things That I Have Done

_Whey-hey another chapter! I have to say that I'm really enjoying writing this fanfic, and despite it's lack of reviews and followers I refuse to complain because those of you who do read this, do enjoy it and do let me know what you think of it, well I won't discredit you by ranting about not having enough people reading this. Because I'd rather have a few people who really enjoyed what I'm writing than a flock-load who didn't really care. Quality not quantity and all that. Anyway, loads more to come, let me know what you think if you are reading!_

_-H_

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**All These Things That I Have Done**

It was just after seven, but despite it supposedly being summer the sky was already sinking into evening and my shadow seemed to be getting longer as I walked. I was exhausted after my day at the shop after my boss had taken a tumble and broken her hip, landing herself in the local A&E while her snooty little niece showed up and demanded I practically rearrange the entire place while she was unable to complain about the order things had been in since it opened forty-odd years ago.  
Instead of going straight home, which really I should have done because I was already later than usual, I'd taken a long, winding detour through the city to clear my head. I love walking in the city when it's dusk; the yellow light of the streetlamps, people sitting outside cafes and strolling around finally free of the working day. In all its busyness it's surprisingly calm and I was enjoying my peace… until Fang suddenly fell into step beside me.  
"Mind if I join you?"  
I kept looking ahead, "Thought you guys had left the city."  
"Nah, we decided to stick it out for a while. Take a break from it all." There was a lot being left unsaid and after a moment when I didn't say anything he sighed, "I wish I could tell you the whole story, Max, I really do. But the game isn't the same one we used to play, it's changed. There's less mutant fighting in the streets and subway tunnels and more… politics." He grimaced. "Somehow I think I preferred rounding a corner to find an Eraser with a gun waiting for me."  
I remembered Ari and all that we'd been through; it felt like a lifetime ago. "I've not thought about that life in months," I admitted. "But I'm worried that I've gone too far, and the flock are unprepared for whatever is coming."  
"You've done the best you could by them," Fang said gently. "You've always put them first, over yourself, over us, over everything."  
Walking beside him was so familiar I had to stop the urge to reach out and take his hand. Instead I said, "I'm sorry, for the way things went the other night… at the flat."  
There was a beat of silence before, "Me too." And then he was speaking so quickly I had to walk slower so I could proper catch all the words, "I guess it never occurred to me- I mean, I knew you would probably find someone else… eventually, but another one of the flock- I should have seen it really but it came as a shock in the restaurant. I almost threw the table. I just had to get out of there and then to come to your home and see the life you've made without me-"  
"It was your choice to leave, Fang."  
He stopped walking and grabbed my arm, "Because it was the only way to protect the flock, not because I stopped loving you. I don't think I could ever stop even if I wanted to, and my God I tried…" I looked at where his hand was clamped around my wrist and he let go and started walking again, clearing his throat, "You have to know that. That what I did wasn't because I didn't care, but because I cared."  
"I do know that," I whispered. "I always have. And I never expected to move on, not with Iggy not with anyone."  
"Not even with Dylan?"  
The question made me catch my breath, "If my 'perfect half' managed to find it in him to cut my throat I don't think I'm ever going to have much luck. Dylan never got close to me, not in any way that counted, not like you and I…"  
"I didn't know how he'd turn out," Fang said very quietly, "If I had-"  
I never got to know what he'd have done. We reached the river and I rested my arms on the railing. I wanted to ask him so many questions; about our past, about his time with the _Second Generation,_ about the things about Dylan he knew and wasn't telling me… the album. "They sent people to me, to warn me that you were in danger and to tell me to get back in the game."  
Fang didn't answer and I stared him down until he mumbled, "I can't tell you what you want to know Max. Not without dragging you back into the world you've done so well to get away from. I won't be the cause of more misery for you, and knowledge will give them greater motive to come after you."  
"Lack of it will make us weaker for when they do come after us anyway," I argued.  
"I won't let that happen," Fang insisted. "I'm sorry Max but no, I won't burden you with the things that _you chose_ to put behind you."  
Then I'd have to find out for myself. I turned my head and practically heard him smile, "Still so stubborn," he said almost in wonder. "Some things never change."  
"And some things do." I had been referring to his new lifestyle, living in the limelight with his band of beautiful, powerful mutants. His brushes with political wars and heroics in saving the world time after time while I sat in my flat and got fat on pudding cups. The wind from the river blew my hair across my face and I suddenly had the feeling eyes were trained on my back. I turned to Fang to see if he felt it too, and found him watching me with eyes so deep I felt I could drown in them.  
"I'll never believe that he's right for you," he said, never moving his gaze from mine. He reached out and brushed my hair off my cheek, "But I'll never begrudge you being happy, not matter what. I meant what I said Max, he might not be the guy you're supposed to be with, but if he's what you want I'll never contest it. Remember that, when you come to think badly of me."  
"I don't think badly of you for leaving Fang, you might have broken my heart, but you did it for the right reasons."  
For a long moment he just continued to stare at me, and then he murmured, "There are many things you may yet come to hate me for. Breaking your heart might be the kindest thing I've done, to save you in the long run."


	12. Headlines

_As usual enjoy and review please! _

_-H_

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**Headlines**

**_The Second Generation Flocks to Glasgow_**

It was as I was walking to work the next day that I saw it. I abandoned all thought of earning a living and shoved my way through the crowd of commuters who had just come from the train station to the newspaper stand. My dread grew with each line of the front page article. We'd been spotted, oh not me and the flock we. Worse than that. First the article claimed that the famous world-saving _Second Generation _had purchased property just across the street from us, before going on to witness an evening stroll of their dark and mysterious leader with an equally mysterious female… who was rumoured to be the missing leader of the first band of winged-mutants, Maximum Ride. We'd been discovered. Fang was dead.

I made it back to the flat within minutes of finding the paper which was still clenched in my fist. Fang and his gang were already there, Ratchet met me outside but I stormed past him without a word. They knew about the article. The front door was open and inside Fang and the flock were standing around in varying degrees of tension. Mine increased even more when I saw Maia standing on the balcony. There had been a beautiful front-page, full colour photo of the two of them kissing on the balcony, which I had just glimpsed out my own window. I was seeing red, and Fang started forwards with his hands up in a show of peace. I didn't even give him the chance to make excuses. I discarded the newspaper on the couch beside Iggy and threw myself at him.  
"You bastard!" I screamed, pining him back against the wall by his throat.  
"Max!" he tried to speak but I was cutting off his air supply.  
"Let him go!" Ratchet grabbed my shoulders and hauled me backwards. Fang spluttered, gasping for oxygen and I heard Iggy snarl, "Don't touch her, she has every right-"  
"So some photographer spotted us," Maia said, "What's the big deal?"  
"The big deal is that our lives here are now over," Iggy spat. "And all because Mr-Popularity couldn't keep out of the limelight."  
Maia narrowed her eyes, "I don't see why all the blame should be pinned on us, half that article is about the nice moonlit walk the two of them went on."  
The room reverberated with silence. Ratchet was still holding me back and I refused to make a comment. Fang stood up straight and said in a raspy voice, "It wasn't like that Maia, and it wasn't moonlit. It was a chance meeting in the street, we had some things to clear up."  
"What things?"  
I couldn't stand the look on Iggy's face. "Fang was trying to justify his behaviour," I said, shrugging his goon off me. "Though I'd love to hear how he's going to try and talk himself out of this one. You've ruined us," I said, meeting his gaze with my furious one. "I told you that we'd kept a low profile and you brought the paparazzi with you."  
"Not on purpose," he insisted, "I'd never do that to you. I told you as much last night!"  
I was shaking now my anger was subsiding; the consequences of the article hitting me fully for the first time. My legs were trembling and Fang steadied me, "They're coming for us already," I said, "I don't need to wait to find out the kinds of damage publicity will do, I already know."  
His eyes were so dark, so unreadable, "I'm so sorry Max."  
"Why did you even come back?" I asked, "And don't give me the same bullshit you did before. You've just ruined the lives I almost died to build us, I deserve the truth." He looked distant and like he wasn't going to answer. My lip sneered in disgust, "Typical-"  
"I missed you, Max," he choked. "God I'd love to say I had the self control to keep my original word and stay away-"  
"That wasn't your original word!" I argued and he closed his eyes like I'd hit him, "Remember, after L.A and Germany, after we split the flock in half over Ari, you _promised_…"  
His eyes flew open, "I did what I thought was right! And now I come back because I thought that maybe it was finally time for _us_ to find you've moved on so apparently easily-"  
"_You left me!" _I screamed at him, forgetting my previous insistence at remembering to say 'us', but I couldn't bring myself to keep up the charade. "You left me," I said again more quietly, "How else would you have liked me to live my life?"  
He looked furious, "_I had no choice!_ You _know _I didn't, it was us or the flock! I did what I thought was best for the group, not what I _wanted._"  
"Then what do you want?" I glared up at him, "To come back into our lives and force us into the game? Well congratulations, because you've succeeded."  
I had completely forgotten about everyone else in the room and apparently so had he. He stepped closer and grabbed my shoulders, forcing me to look at him, "If you think that of me then maybe we never did really love each other. I'd _never _do that to any of you. You're still my flock, I still care I still lov-" He broke off and my eyes went was watching us, except Iggy who was staring at the ground like he was about to develop laser-vision and tear the place apart. My lips had parted in surprise and for a second I thought he was going to kiss me. Then he let go and I stumbled back a step, "Gang we're leaving!" he called, "We've clearly done enough damage here."  
"Oh yeah damage and run to leave us to clean up the mess," Iggy muttered and Fang rounded on him.  
"_What would you have me do?_" he screamed at him, "Stay here only to break her heart all over again, or are you under the delusion that she'd chose you over me?"  
"Fang stop it," I whispered.  
"Or maybe you're right and I should stay, because I'm not sure I can break my word twice."  
"Oh yeah, stay and continue to damage everything, that's all you're capable of!" Iggy had stood and I noticed with some surprise he was now taller than Fang.  
I almost whimpered, "Guys stop it."  
They continued to argue, throwing hateful words and threats back and forth until I couldn't take it anymore.  
"STOP IT!" This was Angel who could hear my internal breakdown like it was her own. Her big blue eyes were focused on me.  
Fang turned, saw my face white and on the verge of tears, and instantly backed off. "I would give almost anything to make this right, Max. But I can't go back, and it doesn't matter if I stay or go, I don't think I'll ever be able to be the cause of your smile again. I'd say I'd try every day till the day I die, but I can't hurt you each day I fail." He was hurting me now, I didn't think I could bare to watch him leave again, but while he was here… there was too much damage.  
I felt like the old wound in my chest had been brutally torn open and someone was routing around as if trying to find my heart… I didn't think they stood much chance if I'm honest. He took a half step closer like he was going to hug me goodbye, but I shook my head and closed my eyes. When I opened them only the flock remained in the room and suddenly it was four years ago and I was home from a wedding to find a letter waiting for me. Not knowing how to do anything else when faced with my worst nightmare coming back to haunt me and practically tearing any love I had left in me in the process, my back found the wall and as I slid down it the tears started to pour and before I knew it, I was broken and sobbing.

Fang hadn't expected it to happen like that. As he left the building through the balcony and up into the air and into the night he heard Max break down and felt his own fragile heart re-break. What choice did he have? He could stay with her, promising never to leave her side and in the future possibly having to re-break it… again. He could stay with her and ruin her relationship with Iggy and possibly the flock, causing her to be miserable.  
Or he could do as he was doing, and leave, causing her one last painful hurt and then eternity without him to heal as best she could. There was nothing he could do about the past, but as predicted a future without her seemed un-liveable. Maia attempted to sidle up to him mid-flight while the rest of his gang drove beneath them. But she backed off with a shocked expression when she glimpsed the tears silently falling down his cheeks. What was his purpose now? In protecting the girl he loved he'd lost her, his family and ruined everything. At the very least, he thought, I can protect them from those I've exposed them to. With that thought he changed course. He may never be able to speak to her again, but he could keep her from harm, working where he fit best; within the shadows.


	13. Ghost Of Me

_This is a short chapter but it's quite a nice scene for Max and Gazzy (who is adorable and doesn't get enough limelight!) so here's the aftermath of the aftermath of the article! Review please!_

_-H_

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**Ghost of Me**

In the first few minutes the flock didn't really know what to do. I was supposed to be their leader, their mentor, their protector, and I was hugging me knees to my chest and rocking back and forth like I was in physical pain, tears rolling uncontrollably down my face to soak my shirt. My breathing wasn't normal, I was gasping for breath and Nudge hesitantly came forwards and sat beside me, spreading her wings out to wrap around my shoulders which only made me cry harder. It was comforting her being there, but I never thought I'd feel this way again. "I'm sorry," I managed to choke. "I'm sorry."  
"It's not your fault Max," Nudge said, stroking my hair. "You can't help who you fall in love with, and this isn't your doing. You didn't run back to him. You didn't expose us."  
Angel was watching me with sorrowful eyes, Iggy was holding her against him. "Why don't you get some rest, sweetie," I suggested through my tears. My hands were shaking and the Gasman brought me a soda to boost my blood sugar. "All of you, get some rest. Tonight," I sighed, "Tonight we're not making any major decisions. Tomorrow we'll figure everything out okay?"  
My lips began to tremble again and they understood I had to break down without them watching me. Nudge brought her wings back into her sides and gathered Angel to her, "I'll read you a story," she told her.  
Iggy got up to leave too and I reached over to grab his wrist. "Whatever we have to do Iggy, I'm fighting to keep this flock together. To keep _us all _together."  
"I know," he whispered and then he moved away towards his room.  
It took me a minute to realise that the Gasman was still on the sofa. I smiled a watery smile at him, "One day we'll look back a laugh at how silly I'm being-"  
"-Maybe this isn't the worst thing that could have happened," he said over me and I felt my jaw drop.  
"I thought you were happy here Gazzy."  
"I am Max. This is one of the best things we've ever done. We've experienced normal life, but we all knew it wasn't forever. You think that you've let us down, that Angel and Nudge are crushed and that Iggy… well, maybe Iggy wanted to never look back, but the rest of us aren't so… blind." He looked at me with eyes so like Angel's and I felt like I was speaking to someone much older. "The game is dangerous, it almost killed us. But we're older now, we know what it's like to live normally, we can fight harder."  
"I never wanted you back in the game. It destroyed us."  
"It didn't completely destroy us, otherwise we'd never have succeeded living here," he argued. "They must think we're so weak, just like Maia does, but we'll show them Max. We're stronger than they are because we _could _survive outside their world, and if we go back it's because we know we can survive the game too."  
"No one survives the white coats… we'll meet our expiration dates and-"  
"I'm not saying we have to survive it under the day we're meant to die." I was surprised by the strength in his voice, "We survive it by winning the game, beating the white coats, then we can live this life we've built for ourselves not knowing that one day they'll pull it all down. Maybe this was a good thing, because now the inevitable has happened, and you'll stop spending every day looking over your shoulder."


	14. Rescues and Revenge

_Want to start off by apologising for the long wait between uploads. I was in Spain a while back and then barely a week and a half after I got home I went off to Israel to backpack around the country with my friend. It didn't leave much time for internet, but you'll be happy to know, plenty of time to get some writing down. Therefore I know have written the ending to the _Second Generation _and I've worked out basically everything that happens from now until then- no worries there's still quite a way to go.  
So keeping that in mind here's the next chapter, enjoy and as usual, please review! _

_-H _

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**Rescues and Revenge**

Well after that bombshell from my pyromaniac-darlin' I found it in me to stop crying pathetically on the floor and start to pick up the pieces. I know I've said it before but nothing quite beats a long hot shower for a place to sort out the shit going on in your life. I must have been under the steaming water for over an hour before I felt collected and motivated enough to get out. The living room was empty when I emerged and Gazzy was sitting in the kitchen eating Nutella from the jar, "Hey- that's mine," I declared walking over to him.  
"I didn't see your name on it," he countered.  
I grabbed myself a spoon from the drawer and helped myself, "It's written into the code of life, Nutella was created for girls with boy problems and cramps."  
"Iggy went to the restaurant to work the lunch shift," he said before I could ask. "And Nudge said she was taking Angel for some 'retail therapy'-" he made air quotes "and that they'd be at the Tavern for lunch."  
I blew air out of my cheeks and discarded the spoon at the sink, "Chocolate isn't working! I know I'm as shocked as you are, I think I need some air." I looked at him over the counter, "You want to go for a fly?"

It felt like it had been forever since we just stretched our wings for the hell of it and we soared thousands of feet above the city, getting soaked in the low grey clouds with ridiculous smiles on our faces. If there's one thing that can top a hot shower it's a carefree flight and I glanced over expecting to see Gazzy smiling like his cheeks were about to burst but instead he was looking fixatedly at something far below us and I followed his gaze with a sinking feeling in my chest. There was a battle.  
Fang, it seemed, had been true to his word and was taking the _Second Generation _and high-tailing it out of town- only they'd gone ahead and come face to face with a whole bunch of what looked like the newest version of meglomania-gone-wild-watching-too-many-bad-films. The whole gang was surrounded by the robots that had an oddly human appearance with the exception of their clawed hands and patchwork wings. I swallowed my disgust at their appearance and watched as Fang and Maia struggled with the influx of the creatures. We were too high to be seen or hear what was going on, but it looked like he was yelling instructions at her that she was ignoring. I hoped he knew how irritating it was- and that's when I realised that I was going to interfere.  
"You should go home," I told the Gasman. "Actually- no, go to the Tavern, have lunch with-"  
"If you're fighting then so am I." His determined eyes met mine and his hands had bunched into fists. "If they're here that means they know we are too, and we need to show them we're not going to hide."  
I had less than a split second to decide and when I nodded we flipped around and poured on our speed towards the fight. The thing about being out of the game… you never really lose that feeling- that instant where you're ready for the rush of adrenaline and you barely have to think, you just _know _what to do. Of course the pain makes it harder, you get used to going months at a time without broken bones and bloody noses- but once you get past the initial shock it becomes habit again and not to pat myself on the back too much but Gazzy and I were magnificent.  
The _Second Generation _had been cornered into a side alley that was open to two streets and converged in a tight V at the end. The bots had blocked both entrances with huge dumpsters and when I touched down in the middle of the fight you could see they were confused by how I'd managed to get into the alley in the first place. It didn't take them long when they saw the wings, but by that point I had already shut down two and was working on a third. "Max! What are you doing here?" Fang cried. He was supporting Maia who was supporting a bloody lip.  
"Saving your ass," I told him. "Get them out of here!"  
I dodged at attack from my left and with the momentum carried through with another punch to the next of the creatures on my other side. Gazzy was wielding a pipe like a bat and with a last snapping kick to the next of a fallen robot it was over. The _Second Generation _were all staring at us with round eyes, "We didn't think you guys still had it," Ratchet admitted guiltily.  
"Well next time learn to get yourselves out of messes like this, we aren't always going to be around to finish a fight for you."  
"Why _are_ you here?" Fang asked quietly.  
I took a moment before I answered him. I composed myself, smiled at the Gasman and ruffled his hair affectionately. "Gaz and I were going to meet the flock for lunch at the Tavern… spotted the fight a few miles up."  
"Then I guess we're keeping your from something," Fang said awkwardly.  
I looked at him, his eye blacking with a nasty bruise. Gaz and I had miraculously escaped any major injuries, the flock need never know what we stumbled on. I had nothing to say -unusual for me I know- so instead looked out over the rooftops in the direction of the restaurant, getting ready to make myself leave. Thick curling smoke was lingering on the skyline and I frowned just as several fire engines roared past on the street and something cold clamped around my heart. Of course, the fire could have been anywhere, in any building… but there was someone at the end of the alley looking mighty pleased with himself and I didn't have to ask any questions to know. Jack caught my eye and put a finger to his lips before rushing off. I sprinted to the end of the alley but he had run in the opposite direction of the Tavern and I gave up the chase to turn and yell at Gazzy. We only had minutes before it would be far too late.


	15. Dead Heat

_Okay so this is a really, really short chapter but it does lead to something bigger and really it only needed to be short and snappy. Review please! :) _

_-H_

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**Dead Heat**

Fang grabbed my arm, "Max wait! You're not making any sense!"  
"He's set fire to the Tavern, the flock- let me go!" I wrenched my arm free. "Who set fire?"  
The Gasman was shoving dumpsters aside, "Max, come on!"  
"Jack," I told Fang breathlessly, just so he'd get out of my way. "He was a waiter in the restaurant, he got fired- let me go!"  
"Let us help," he insisted but I was already running with Gazzy hot on my heels.  
The Tavern had gone up fast, already several fire trucks and police officers had gathered outside. Customers who had made it to the doors were sprawled on the pavement being tended to by paramedics and I concluded within two seconds that none of my flock were yet out and safe. I shrugged off my jacket and handed it to the Gasman, "If you argue with me now I swear to God- well, I can't actually think of a punishment bad enough right now. Just promise me you'll stay here and be waiting so that when I get them out you can get them out of here before the regular people start asking questions."  
Gazzy nodded, "I promise Max- just be careful!"  
I spotted Tom being loaded into an ambulance and ran over, "Where were they? Tom- please are they in there?"  
He nodded and moved his oxygen mask to say, "I'm sorry kid, I don't know what happened." But I was already away, barrelling through the barriers the fire crew had set up and into the blaze. I choked instantly on smoke but with my raptor vision I could make out shapes of tables and chairs and quickly moved across my familiar route to our usual table. Without warning a beam fell across my path and I screamed aloud and stumbled backwards. It was then I realised that I wasn't alone, as strong arms caught me before I could hit the ground. I knew who it was without turning and I didn't have time to. I heard Angel call out from the direction of the kitchens and kicked the burning beam to the side and scrambled for the hatch that connected the serving area to the main restaurant.  
The metal was searing hot and I earned myself a nasty burn along the side of my hand. I could see my little girl on the other side and I held out my arms, "Quickly, come on we can use the side door!"  
With a leap she made it through the hatch and into my arms, pointing behind her to a corner behind the podium where another fallen beam had trapped Iggy and Nudge behind a wall of fire. From what I could see Nudge was on the verge of consciousness and Iggy was holding her in his arms. I yelled at them to cover their faces and the figure behind me lifted a curtain rail from the wall and used it to demolish the red hot wood that was blocking their escape. "This way!" I grabbed Iggy's hand and turned to the side door… which was across a blazing inferno that would be impossible to cross.  
"Max!" I turned to look over my shoulder and saw what Fang had found in the ceiling. Where the beam had collapsed there was now a small opening to the sky outside, a sharp up and away and we could smash through it. "Trust me!" he yelled and I choked on another breath. My flock wouldn't survive a minute longer. He held out his hand, "Please, it's the only way."


	16. What Doesn't Kill You

_Okay since the last chapter was seriously short I've decided to be nice and upload this once straight away. It's not long either but the next one will be, it'll also be really significant so these two are building to it... basically it'll be awesome so please enjoy and Review! _

_-H_

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**What Doesn't Kill You… **

We burst through the roof in a display of smoke, fire and shattered wood, our beautiful wings catching the afternoon light and the attention of the growing crowd below. People screamed in recognition and fright and we rained down on the emergency services. Fang had an woozy and weeping Nudge in his arms and I took her from him and checked her pulse, "Honey are you okay?" She coughed and whimpered a little.  
"You got us out."  
"Of course I did, they'd have to have killed me before I would give up on you guys."  
Iggy was coughing too and I reached out to touch his arm, "I'm fine," he insisted, from his glower I could tell that he wasn't pleased that Fang was around, or that we'd had to expose ourselves by saving them from the blaze. He held out his arms to take Nudge and I obliged, afraid of what was to come next, not only for the two of us but the flock as a whole. By not being there when they needed me, it was just like old times when I'd been too distracted by Fang to look after them properly.  
Fang was trying to talk to me about the burn on my hand which was throbbing something awful but I could barely look at him. Already photographers were snapping shots of our sooty and smoke-abused flock and I found myself sick with rage. Fang couldn't keep showing up and causing publicity with no explanations. There was too many coincidences and not enough was adding up.  
I turned to Angel who was hugging her brother and put my hands on her shoulders, "I want all of you to go home, okay? Clean yourselves up and re-hydrate and just- breath, yeah? I'll be home in a minute."  
She looked between me and Fang and already knew what I was going to ask him. She nodded, "Max is right guys we should go before more journalists arrive."  
The fire crews and paramedics didn't even try to stop us leaving. The flock took off again, now not caring who saw and I stalked around the corner away from the restaurant and back towards the alley where we'd just saved the _Second Generation_ from an ass whooping. If they'd been in the crowd outside the fire I hadn't seen them and now they were no where around. Fang and I were alone.  
I rounded on him**, **"Did you send the album?"  
Fang's expression was blank but I wasn't buying it. As always with him it was about what was going on inside his head, something I alone had previously been able to glimpse, and I wasn't going anywhere until he gave me a straight answer.  
After a long moment he said, "This is bigger than you think, Max, bigger than both of us."  
I blinked but didn't waver, "You didn't answer me."  
"No," Suddenly he wasn't meeting my eyes, "I- I knew of the book but, I... it wasn't me."  
There was so much being left unsaid that I wanted to rattle the whole truth from him. Then he looked up and I saw something that reminded me I had been out of the loop a long time. It was an expression of extreme tiredness; a defeat neither of us could afford to give into.  
Maybe the reason he wasn't telling me was because he was no longer sure I could handle it. This thought scared and angered me more than I thought possible. I am _Maximum Freakin' Ride_. I am _not_ weak and I'm still the only true undefeated mutant to lead an escape from the Whitecoats. Who was my ex-boyfriend, best friend and right-Wing-man to determine how strong I was? Despite my resolve to get information I turned my back on him then, unfurling my wings and, giving him a feathery version of the bird, I took off from the spot I'd been standing, leaving him behind.


	17. TugofWar

_This chapter is for my very good friend _**JustAFantasyGirl** _(If you love the Hunger Games, check out her fics) because she has no internet at the minute and one of the reasons she has schleped over to the library every day is to yell at me to write more and to dedicatedly read my updates. Of course she updates herself and has other reasons to be in a library but still she's awesome and since she's also going on holiday for a week I feel I can't leave her without a little drama._

_Anyway, it's a longer chapter than the last two I updated and I can't wait to hear from you with your thoughts :) _

_-H _

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**Tug-Of-War**

When I landed on our roof terrace and slipped quietly in the patio doors I almost jumped out of my skin. I had been expecting Iggy to be waiting for me. I hadn't been expecting the entire flock to be patiently sitting around the living room with perfectly blank expressions. I yelped and put a hand to my heart, "For the love of- don't do that to me guys!" No one said anything and once I'd checked them for major injuries I interpreted their silence to mean they had finally gone behind me back and decided how they wanted to move forward from here. Because despite my delaying tactics we couldn't stay here forever. We couldn't stay another week.  
I swallowed my fear and held my hands out to the sides, "Okay whose first?"  
Angel shifted but it was Gazzy who finally said, "We know how much you love having a home here, Max, and we can't even behind to tell you how grateful we are that you even tried, much less succeeded, in giving us a shot at a normal life. But it can't last, and we wanted to say we don't blame you for that. We don't blame anyone. It's time we moved on and stopped hiding. We're ready to give up on a normal life, because thanks to you and your patience with us, we can finally accept that we're not normal."  
This was the most I had ever heard the Gasman speak without cackling or offering to blow something up in a long time. I suddenly remembered that I wasn't dealing with little kids anymore.  
My voice was calm and steady when I said, "You want back in the game, not another home some place new?"  
"Max I don't think I can stand to build it all up just to see it get torn down all over again; the back-stories, the new friends... we just have to accept that this isn't a life we're going to be able to live in peace." This was Nudge who was looking solemn but convinced.  
"And if we can't have a peaceful life we might as well do what we were made for," Angel added, and then all eyes were on me.  
I saw their brows furrow when a huge grin spread across my face, "Well it's about time you finally saw things my way. Guys! I have been saying this for years, our only chance is to lie low and kick butt!" Just as long as we stuck to the lie low bit.  
"You- you're not sad?" Nudge asked.  
"Of course I'll be sad to say goodbye to the certainty of food and Sundays mornings in bed! But I've known from the beginning it was only a matter of time..." In truth this was going to crush me. If we abandoned this life there was no middle ground, we'd be right back in the thick of things, playing the lab game. But some fierce pride inside me was pitching a serious fit. Fang's hesitation about throwing too much my way had made me realise everyone probably thought we'd gone soft during our home-schooled private lives. And the less they feared us the more they'd mess with us.  
It was about time the name Maximum Ride was whispered fearfully around the boardrooms of evil gazillionaires again.  
I looked around at the flock and knew that although it would take some readjusting, we could handle this. They even looked excited, because they knew we'd have to fight for our reputations as well as our lives. Only one person was looking sensationally disappointed. In this life Iggy had everything he wanted, including me and stability in a world he couldn't see.  
A twinge in my gut faded my warrior grin and I began to piece together the complex triangle I was stuck in. Here, in this apartment I was Max Ride, a well-groomed, (somewhat more than I used to be) emotionally stable bookseller who was learning to cook and could charm the pants off the local bartenders with one easy smile. Perhaps the kind of girl I would have been if I hadn't suffered through the nightmarish childhood I had. But whether Iggy and I liked it not, thanks to the Whitecoats I am Maximum Ride, a mutant, armour-plated, ass-kicking, rebellious, good-for-nothing, pain-in-the-butt and I'm more accomplished in street fighting than home-making. I take no crap and most charming attribute is the smile I save for my flock when they need me- that and the cute determination that crosses my face when I'm about to punch your lights out. My situation was less a love-triangle, and more a tug-of-war between who I was supposed to be and who I was born to be. Iggy and Fang are in love with two completely different girls, and by going back, does that determine my choice? Should I be with Fang?

So after stupidly having my inner-hysterical-tug-of-war-revelation in the presence of an impressionable mind-reader I went to Angel's room that night to have talk with her. "So I don't want you to think too much on what you heard, sweetie, it's nothing to concern yourself with. Okay?"  
Her blue eyes met mine and I knew it wasn't okay. "Iggy kept thinking tonight about how he's lost us all, Max! I think he associates our old life with how things used to be, and he doesn't want to go back. He will, because he loves us all, but he's already preparing himself to lose you! Even though-"  
"Even though what?" I asked tightly.  
"Even though he's mad at you for going back to join Fang's fight. He still left us Max."  
I was blinded with hurt and fury. So Iggy wasn't going to fight for us because he thought I was pathetic for running back to Fang? "No Max that's not how he meant it!"  
"Forget it, Angel," I said quietly. "I'm getting back into the game because I have to. Something is happening out there and I want us to be ready." I stood up, "And if be being who I am means that Ig..." I couldn't finish that. Instead I kissed her hair and turned off the light.  
Outside only Iggy was still up, sitting on one of the breakfast stools, playing with the cover of a recipe book. He could tell from my breathing that I was upset. "You know Iggy," I started very softly, "When we started a life here I confessed to you that even if I changed, a part of me would always be that fighter."  
"You mean a part of you would always belong to Fang, yeah Max I remember," he shot back, exchanging the book for an apple.  
I snapped, "I don't belong to anybody! Not Fang, not you, not Dylan and not Itex! And how dare you basically accuse me of being pathetic by being _realistic_! We _have _to go back before they find us! You heard the kids, they don't want to have to pretend again somewhere new. Or do you want to ditch them and live just the two of us?"  
"You mean like Fang ditched us!" Iggy yelled standing up, "And yet you still have the connection with him and now he's back and suddenly you want back in the freakin' game!"  
"He was my best friend, of course we have a connection! But my decision had nothing to do with him!"  
Iggy had gone white with fury, "So when Gazzy said you and he dropped in on a fight to save the _Second Generation_ he was lying was he?"  
I recoiled. Lowering my voice I said coolly, "Whether we like it or not we're part of that world, and we have to survive. The more mutants there are the less attention can be concentrated just on the flock. This is for them, Iggy, like everything I do is for them."  
"So things would be different if-"  
I interrupted him, feeling suddenly like the weight of everything was on me, and harsh truths might be the only way to lighten the load. "Iggy I care about you, honestly I do! But if I didn't lead the flock and put them before myself when you lot voted me out and elected Angel to lead instead I'd have gone without a backwards glance. If it wasn't for the fact I love the flock more than I care for my own happiness..." We both waited for me to say it, "He left me, not the flock, Iggy. He left _me_ because I had the flock and if I didn't dedicate my life to you all my heart wouldn't have been broken in the first place. He left me because I chose the flock over my heart, and I'm sorry Ig but if you can't understand that my heart is second before the wellbeing of the others..." I let the sentence hang between us.  
His expression was bitter. "And Fang understood this?"  
"That's why he left."  
There was a long silence before I realised neither of us had anything more to say. Then I turned on my heel and locked my bedroom door behind me.


	18. A Touch of Honesty

_In an effort to show how sorry I am for the delay between uploads which I was offer a short explanation about I promise I have quite a lot of new material for this which I shall be uploading for you in the next few months and I promise you I've worked my ass off on it! The gap is because of National Novel Writing Month which I'm quite proud to say I managed to win this year (my fourth attempt) 50,000 words HELL YEAH! So here is the next chapter for the Second Gen and it does include some answers to a few of the burning questions of the story so far... enjoy and pretty, pretty please REVIEW! :D_

_-H_

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**A Touch of Honesty**

And that's when Iggy and I broke up. Well, it wasn't quite so dramatic; after our conversation the night before neither of us had slept much and at breakfast, before the flock woke, we stood opposite each other over the island counter and decided that until we reached a more stable point, it was best if we didn't have to constantly fight it out. And when the flock got up and we sat down to eat it was just like our mornings when we first moved here. No one said anything about our quiet separation and we didn't bring it up. Nothing about it was awkward, and I wasn't sure how I felt. Calm was the only way to describe it. Iggy had been right when he'd explained that clearly things with the flock's situation were going to change and with those changes my feelings were going to come into play a lot. I needed to properly balance how I felt about the flock and him and Fang. Especially Fang, who I could now go to with much less guilt and demand a full explanation.  
We retreated to my favourite coffee shop where we sat under the curious gaze of Sarah the barista and faced one of our first open, honest conversations in years. "So you two aren't together anymore?"  
I held up my hands, "That's not why I'm here Fang."  
With obvious effort he sighed into his coffee, his breath parting the curling steam rising from the mug. "Of course, it's not really any of my business."  
"I need the truth," I told him, feeling confident that my leader's voice hadn't been lost of the years. "All of it. And no sparing my feelings or any of the details, I'm not weak and I'm not scared, but I am concerned for the flock. I need to know everything... and I need you to tell me right now."

"They're spies?" Angel asked in disbelief. "Fang and the Second Generation?"  
I sighed unhappily, so apparently after Fang and his band of new misfits formed they had wanted to get the word out about their cause as fast and as efficiently as possible, not realising that being a celebrity mutant could make doing any actual good rather tricky. I'd told him several times that afternoon he was an idiot and not once did he disagree. "We couldn't actually _help _many people when we were constantly being stalked by the press so we had to try and find other ways or face going back underground," he'd said, "I did try and keep up with the flocks movements, mainly so I would know you were safe but also so I could stay away and keep my gang from crossing paths on any of our missions. I wasn't sure how to- be with any of you anymore and it took a long time before I could function again."  
Well I had known that feeling. Iggy was staring into space, "They sold out."  
Part of me agreed, when Fang lost track of us around D.C -which incidentally is where Dylan tried to kill me- they decided enough was enough with being useless in the limelight and accepted the offer they'd received from what they had believed to be a government organisation that wanted them to operate in the underground world while maintaining their celebrity status to keep the heat off. One of the terms of the agreement was that the agency that Fang had only referred to as the Sector would make sure that the flock were kept out of the firing line since at the time we had completely disappeared off of the radar and it was then that they had unveiled one of their other agents… Dylan.  
"I swear on my life Max I didn't know what he'd done to you, that he'd betrayed the flock. When he appeared in that room with us- he said that there had been an ambush as you'd tried to take the flock out of America, that you were heading back for Europe and he got separated and joined the Sector to try and find you again. I _knew _something was off but it wasn't until later when I found out he'd been working for them for longer, much, much longer since we first met him that I realised we'd been played. Majorly.  
"As it turns out the missions that the Sector had us doing while we maintained the front of the Save the Earth campaign, escorting diplomats and stealing documents, was doing the opposite of good. Not only that but Dylan was working on what he claimed was a mission called Operation Heartstorm that I was later read in on… it was a mission about you Max, the whole thing, the entire set up with the Second Generation and Dylan, it was entirely focussed around you. And that's when I realised that they weren't hiding you, they were hunting you."  
Nudge was pale, "That's why Fang came to the city, he had to find us first and warn us?"  
"He didn't know how far Dylan had come in tracking us, he planted false evidence that we were hiding in Austria before diverting his mission to come to Glasgow. The press finding out about us… it was all a matter of time before someone did. And now the rest of the world, including the Sector know we're here too. We have no choice, we're going to have to fight. We were always going to have to fight."  
"So the album?" the Gasman asked.  
"It was from Maia, apparently she thought it would be easier if we came out of hiding ourselves and gave up the game. When Fang found out he came to the restaurant in an attempt to talk to me… and well, you know what happened after that."  
The room was silent for a few moments before Nudge asked, "What now?"  
Fang and I had discussed this earlier, "If we leave the city now they'll know that we're on to them and that we're on the run. No one at the Sector knows that Fang discovered what was going on behind Operation Heartstorm, they all believe he's bumped into us by accident, though the agency have cut him off. So we're going to stay in the city and let them make the first move so that we can plan accordingly. Fight our way out and get on the run again, if we make the first move they can track us in the shadows until we slip up and we're dead. We need them to show us at least the first part of their plan if we have even a chance at getting through this alive."  
"Sounds like you two have it all figured out," Iggy muttered and my heart went out to him. "I'm sorry Ig, but as of now it's back like old times… not me and Fang!" I snapped, when he pulled a face, "Me in charge and making plans, this is how we're playing it and we're going to leave a few traps behind as we go to slow them up in any way that we can. For now… try and get a good nights sleep, we've got work to do in the morning."


	19. Reflection

_So this chapter is a sort of reflection and a build up to all hell breaking loose... enjoy :D And please review!_

_-H_

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**Reflection**

I couldn't sleep that night. The flock had all drifted off one by one, Angel was asleep in my bed beside me, curled up under the covers so that only her halo of hair was showing. I felt guilty about leaving her there but I knew if she did wake when I was gone she wouldn't panic, she knew just like I did that I wasn't getting a wink tonight. Throwing on a pair of jeans and a hoodie I slipped out of the flat and headed up to the roof, rolling my shoulders in preparation to stretch my aching wings. Considering this had been our home for so long I was starting to feel trapped, longing for open skies… it was time.  
I consoled myself with the fact that we had made it work this far, which is something no one had done before us. We were five mutant flying kids and we'd successfully forged a home for ourselves. I was more than a little proud of my flock for adapting as they had and I could only pray that they were truly up for what was ahead and that by bringing them here I hadn't doomed them to fail in our real world. Because our real world was so different from the normal world, and as I flew across Glasgow I followed some of our familiar routes recalling some of the moments that I would cling on to when the next few months threw some tough times our way.  
The coffee shop where I had been tricked into going because Angel and Nudge had set me up on a blind date just a few months after we had arrived- it had been an utter disaster and at the time I had been furious with them but now I just smiled and admitted that it had been hilarious.  
Along the street from that was the bookshop where I'd managed to find somewhere calm to make a living and keep us afloat… I hoped that Mrs Kowalski's bitchy niece wouldn't completely destroy the old fashioned love of books that had been preserved in that shop for years while her aunt was sick. Then again, some of her ideas hadn't been terrible, maybe it was time for the shop to become more updated before it became outdated and crumbled…I sighed as each place I flew over brought me to the same conclusion. Our time here had been like one, long, amazing, comfortable, happy sabbatical, but if we didn't return someone better and more efficient would appear from the woodwork and it wouldn't matter if we fought off our old enemies, because our new ones would be stronger… I landed on the cobbled street and faced the blackened ruin of the Tavern.  
Consequences. They were hard to come to terms with and completely unavoidable. I was surprised to find my eyes prickling as I ducked under the police tape and entered the unstable building. This had been one of the first places in the city we had found we could relax in and begin to be ourselves. Tom had been brilliant with our situation and his offering Iggy a job had saved us from starvation and dumpster diving. I ran my hands along the carcass of our usual table, how had it come to this? So many good memories crammed into this place, the first meal Iggy made and served to us and Tom, Angel's attempted birthday cake that collapsed in the middle and the rest of us eating the barely cooked edges to make her happy, Nudge's debut as she sang in the crammed raised platform in the corner to build her confidence before hitting the big stage, the Gasman's insensitive facts about the lobsters and Angel's consequence attempted rescue… the night Iggy kissed me in front of everyone. I wrapped my arms around myself, holding it together. Tonight I felt oddly alone but I was glad no one was with me. It stayed in the restaurant until the morning sun began to peek over the horizon, re-living each precious memory we'd made in our time in the city and preparing to store them someone inside and move on, because I couldn't be the fighter I needed to be if I was dwelling on what was no longer our present but our past. So when the sun fully emerged I wiped my cheeks and stood up with a shaky sigh, I gave myself a last glance before ducking out of the door and blending in to the commuters on the street with my hood up and head bowed. Everything must end.

I'd love to be able to say that I walked away from that moment and into the crowd and back to our flat to my flock to plan our next move, level-headed and strong. But that's not how my life works and apparently putting the present into the past opened up a door that had a sign over it saying _"Maximum Ride is open to deal with your shit"_ because I only made it halfway down the street before I walked headlong into trouble. And of course trouble had to have my face. "What do you want Maia?" I asked sharply.  
"I'm surprised you haven't bolted yet, don't you have a track record for running away and hiding from impending danger?"  
"I'm sure you'd love that, with your track record of jumping into my shadow. It's pathetic, that you can't forge a life for yourself if it's not something I've done first."  
Maia bristled, "I managed to keep Fang."  
Despite the fact I knew this wasn't true I felt my jaw tighten, "You can try Maia but you will never be me."  
"That's why he likes me."  
"That's why he pretends to like you. He only tracked you down because he wanted me." I was surprised at my own jealously. I knew that no matter where I ended up in my life I would never be comfortable with Fang falling for somebody else, especially not Maia, but I was furious and irrational and it took me completely off guard.  
Maia smirked, "Whatever you need to hear to keep you getting up the morning, you're heading for a fall. And this time Fang won't be there to catch you. You won't survive this attack, there's too many people dedicated to wiping Maximum Ride off the face of the Earth and soon Fang will realise that he belongs on the side that's coming to get you."  
"And you're on that side are you?" I knew she was a traitor.  
"I'm on Fang's side."  
"No, you're stuck to Fang's side. I know you sent me that album."  
A dark SUV with tinted windows pulled up and braked at the kerb next to Maia. I couldn't see the driver but apparently she had been expecting a ride. With a sarcastic laugh she said, "You think you know everything, and that's your biggest problem. That and you're weak because you're sentimental." She took a step closer, "Everything you think that you know, everything you rely on, everything you hold close enough to choke the life out of… it's all about to explode, it's going to shatter until you're left with nothing. The day of reckoning is getting closer and closer and soon you're going to realise that you know nothing… nothing that will save you and your precious flock."  
Before I could say anything or take a swing at her she stepped back and the driver opened the door from the inside and she slipped inside. I didn't get a glimpse of the driver, only a hand in a black leather glove. The SUV peeled away and I was left standing in the street, fuming, confused and more than a little scared. If Maia had turned I needed to warn Fang, but how to bring up the fact that I thought the girl I was jealous of him spending time with was evil without sounding exactly as worked up and petty as I was?


	20. Traitor

_Hey guys! Sorry for the lack of updates recently, I won't bore you with excuses however I will promise you another chapter before the end of the week after this one. I've had a few breakthrough ideas for this fic while I wasn't writing much and I've had a bit of fun adding them in, so I hope you enjoy, look out for the chapter after this because I promise it's a good one, and yeah- please review!_

_-H_

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**Traitor**

When I got back to the apartment I was half-expecting the flock to still be in bed, however I was surprised to find it was all systems go. "There's fresh coffee in the pot," Nudge said as I walked through the door.  
Angel was carefully wrapping some of more prized belongings in bubble wrap while the Gasman was ironing -and yes, I said _ironing-_ a selection of clothes which he was handing to Nudge.  
"What's all this?"  
"Iggy and I went to the store, we got these super cool hiking backpacks that should allow us to take most of our things plus necessary items for being back on the run," she explained. "We have one each so we're packing up our clothes and the stuff we really, really can't live without so that we can be ready to go in a jiffy." I was impressed, part of me had thought I may still have to pack up our lives here for them. Nudge came over holding out a phone. "Iggy also got us new burner cells, I transferred the numbers from your old phone in here and I also downloaded this app-" she let me see the screen, "Basically I figured that they're gonna be watching to see if we make a break for it, y'know? So I thought they'll probably be watching the joint account you and Ig set up for your wages." We had managed to stash quite a tidy sum of money over the years. "So I've set us up a new account that is practically untraceable, I mean they'll have to have forensic hackers like me to find us through a money trail, and this app will allow you to transfer all of the money between accounts in seconds, as soon as our cover is blown and we had underground."  
"You've been watching waay too much CSI sweetie," I joked, then I kissed her hair, "But good job, seriously, this is some cool spy stuff right here."  
Iggy appeared from his bedroom, setting his ready-to-go pack down on the floor. "I've sorted most of the food and provisions so that we're carrying enough to keep us going for a few days, but it'd be useful if you'd like to share your plan with the rest of us so I can add more if need be."  
"I wasn't planning on high tailing it too soon, but we aren't staying here any longer."  
They all stopped what they were doing and looked at me, "But I thought you said that if we left it'd look suspicious."  
I smiled at Angel, "That is still kind of the plan, but I bumped into Maia this morning and something is definitely hinky with her."  
"And it's not just because she's sleeping with Fang?" Iggy checked sarcastically.  
I threw one of Gazzy's shoes at him. "No. And they aren't sleeping together," I felt the need to add. "But she all but said outright to me that she's a traitor and that whatever it is the Sector are planning, it's going to hit soon. So we're going to leave the apartment but keep it as a decoy. I spoke to the Landlord and there is a vacant apartment two floors down. If we're being monitored we'll be going in and out of the same building, but if they raid us we won't be directly in the firing line."  
Angel nodded, "When?"  
"Today, if we can. It's got basic furniture but I doubt we'll be there for more than a few days. I passed off my questions as passing interest of who may be our new neighbours but for now it looks like it could be empty for a month or so, so we have time." I gazed around at the room, taking a deep breath, "I'll be back this afternoon to help finish packing everything up and moving it downstairs- I appreciate what you guys have done in terms of bank accounts and packs, but please don't leave the apartment again today. I need to sort some stuff out and I don't want to be worrying about one of you getting kidnapped or whatnot."  
"Are we allowed to know where you're going?" Nudge asked.  
Iggy came over to hand me a protein bar, thoughtful as I hadn't eaten breakfast, "She's going to go and demand if Fang knew about Maia, not that he will have. Then she's going to barter with him to see which one of them gets to have their revenge first."  
I smiled and put my hand on his shoulder, "There will be not bartering, if she's planning on hurting you guys I'm going to take her out."

Fang agreed to meet me at the Tavern where we figured we had the best chance of not being disturbed. I showed up to find him already there, leaning against the charred wall with his nose glued to his phone. "Not interrupting anything important am I?"  
He pocketed the phone but looked guarded. "It's nothing."  
"Let me guess," I took a step inside, ducking under the police tape like before, "You can't find one of the members of you Second Gen?" He looked grim to know that I knew. "Yeah- I'm here to talk about that."  
He folded his arms over his chest, "You called me out to the spot where I first saw you making out with Iggy to grill me about Maia? You're not jealous, are you Max?"  
I swallowed my anger and made myself smile at him, "I wasn't aware I had reason to be."  
His expression softened with honesty, "You don't." He uncrossed his arms, "There is nothing romantic between us at all."  
"What about anything else between you?" I asked and he looked confused, "Loyalty? Friendship? Trust?"  
"Once, maybe- but recently…" he wiped a hand over his features and I saw how tired he was. "God it's like since we came here she's a changed person. Believe it or not she actually was a good person to have backing you up in a fight, she was honest with her opinions, kept me from following my temper rather than logic on more than one occasion but now…"  
I felt a surprising pang of sympathy for him and took another step closer, "I don't remember your temper being so much of an issue before."  
He seemed to speak without thinking, "Yeah well everything was a lot easier when I had you." He looked surprised to hear himself say it, but went on anyway, "Things got difficult after I left Max. Things that I could handle before would suddenly make me so mad I'd see red. Things got to me, things like seeing you with Iggy that night- I left and almost took on the first person I bumped into in the street. I was lucky that Maia had come to find out what was taking me so long otherwise I'd have turned around and come back in to confront him-" he took a deep breath, "But that's not what you came to talk about." "I saw Maia this morning," I told him, "Here, just outside. I'd come in to clear my head and when I left she confronted me, basically telling me that there are people out there dedicated to killing me and that she hopes to one day make you one of them." He looked grey. "She's a traitor Fang. I'm not saying this out of jealousy or spite and believe it or not but I'd rather it wasn't true, but it is. And before I could try and get any real answers from her someone swung by in a truck to pick her up… so I have to ask, do you have any idea where she is or what she's up to?"  
"And have I known all along?" he added, meeting my gaze. "No Max," he whispered, "If I had I would never have put you in harms way, I'd have never trusted her." He shrugged off of the wall, "I knew that she disliked you but working for the Sector, for Operation Heartstorm…? God I probably should have known. But I haven't seen her since I told you everything that I knew. I got back to the safe house and she wasn't there."  
"Are any of the others like her? In your gang, could anyone else-?"  
"No," he was firm. "No Max. I know that right now me asking you to trust my judgement may be too difficult, but the others- there is no way they'd turn."  
He looked so furious with himself, so on edge that I came forward to touch his hand before I really knew what I was doing, "I trust you Fang," I said, "But Maia is a problem. Do you know who else she might be operating with here if it isn't another one of your gang?"  
While my touch had eased a little of the physical tension in his frame Fang only looked more agitated, "There is one person she did used to be close to, before I pulled us all here and I'd be lying if I said it hasn't been playing on my mind ever since I found out about what happened to you guys in D.C." "Who?" I asked although I figured I already knew the answer.  
Fang's eyes were darker than I had ever seen them, "Dylan."


	21. It's Begins and Ends with a Bang

_Hey guys- what did I tell ya? Another brand new chapter in less than a week! If you could show your appreciation in the form of reviews that'd be lovely ;) I figure some of you might have a thing or two to say once you see how this chapter ends... enjoy!_

_-H_

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**It Begins and Ends with a Bang**

"Dylan?" I repeated, breathing out a sigh, "I should have known really, and I thought I couldn't hate that girl any more than I already did. I'm still mad at you for that, you know. Replacing me with a poorer version… the first time we met her she tried to replace me and kill me and from then on in she's gone and done more to piss me off. And you snapped her up two seconds after you left."  
"I missed you Max. Our friendship, not just my feelings for you. I missed the times when things were simple, before you kissed me on that beach, before New York and then everything that followed. I missed having someone I could connect with and I even thought to myself if I can only have her as a friend I'll take it, but I couldn't have you and I was desperate so I made a rash choice. Plus I knew I'd left you with Dylan, Mr Perfect, and I knew that at one point you would go there because I hurt you and for a while Maia was exactly what I needed… until she wanted more and I realised- no one can ever replace you for me Max. Not just Maia who looks and sounds like you, I mean anyone, I don't think I'm capable of loving anyone the same way that I-"  
I looked at him for a long moment and tried to swallow my feelings. I took my hand off of his arm. "Maybe I should go… the flock will be wondering where I am."  
"And Iggy will be wondering, just because you two called it off doesn't mean that it's over for good, you shouldn't damage that."  
"Iggy and I broke it off Fang, because there are just some things he couldn't understand the way that you… If this world had been perfect and I had been born a normal regular human we would have worked out so perfect because Iggy balanced me out so well… but that's not the life I was given or the one I made for myself when we broke out of the School. Not that this is any of your business."  
I turned to leave and he caught my wrist. "I'm not going to push you to fall in love with me again Max," he said and I closed my eyes. It wasn't much of a push if I never stopped. "I went to Maia because I missed our friendship, how close we were that I felt you were an extension of me, part of me and in more than just a romantic way. And I'll do anything, anything to get that back. It doesn't have to be anything more because what we had before we got together means more to me than anything."  
I faced him and took a deep breath to try and stop myself from crying, because I felt the exact same. In all my years of aching for Fang while I had wanted his arms around me and to feel his lips on mine, most of the time I just missed his company, sensing him in the same room, knowing he had my back… the way we could read each other like no one else possibly could. Before I thought it through I stepped forwards and put my arms around his neck. It wasn't a hug that was leading anywhere, it was my way of acknowledging the friendship we'd lost and he held me close so that we were wrapped around each other, our wings creating a kind of cocoon.  
I'm not sure how long we stood like that, but I never wanted to let go. I felt safe there, I felt more like me and I whispered into his shoulder, "I've missed you so much Fang and maybe one day when this latest threat has passed and we have a moment to breathe we can work on it, because you'll always be my best friend and I want it back too."  
He sighed, "You're saying we can work on it once the flock is safe? Has it occurred to you that there might not be that time?"  
"We've had three years of-"  
"Waiting on it all to come crashing down. I get it Max, I've always understood but I'm worried that you're never going to put yourself first and one day you'll look back and regret just how much you've given up, because they aren't little kids any more and you're not either… I don't want you to realise one day that you have nothing left for you because you gave it all away."  
There was a lump in my throat and I was glad he still had his arms around me so that my face was hidden. Was that the reason I was feeling so empty these days, because I was giving everything away? Only I didn't feel empty now, not with Fang because he never took anything from me that I didn't have in me to give.  
I inhaled the smell of his leather jacket and he smoothed my hair, knowing he had to let my process, not to push, not to speak. "I do regret some things," I admitted in a barely there voice. "And I wish some things had gone differently. I wish we'd had a proper goodbye, I know why you had to leave and I know it was hard but I almost died the moment I found that letter instead of you. I knew what it said before I opened it and I felt like my heart was breaking and it scared me how easily I was hurt by a piece of paper. It might have killed us to voice a goodbye but promise me something Fang, no matter what, don't ever do that to me again. Not like that."  
He squeezed me tighter, "I regret that too. At the time I knew that facing you, seeing the pain in your eyes, it would have been too much, but I couldn't just disappear. I'll forever hate myself for leaving it like that, I promise, it won't happen like that ever again. But we don't know what's going to happen Max, and if you keep making sacrifices for the flock, one day we might have to face that moment where we do have to say goodbye face to face… and that will kill me."  
I sniffed and pulled away from the hug and Fang let me go. I pushed my hair off my face and said, "We're going to have to ride out this storm and hope we all at least make it through."  
"You'll make it through Max, three years in a comfy flat isn't enough to get rid of the stubborn mutant ass-kicker you've always been."  
I smiled and he put his hands behind his neck and took a step away, "I think we might be okay Fang."  
"If you say so," he grinned, "I'll see you around Maximum. And I'll get to the bottom of Maia's possible indiscretions."  
"I hope so, otherwise I'll sharpen up my old Max skills hunting her ass down."  
Fang looked at me seriously for a moment, "If she is working with Dylan, I won't let him away with what he did to you. I won't let her away with it either." "After all this time you've still got my back," I mused and he smirked, "Later, Fang."

And before you all get too excited, faithful readers, that maybe things were starting to look up I was only halfway down the street to our apartment when I received a text to my brand new, apparently untraceable cell:  
**Who was there to save them, Max?  
**And that's when our beautiful top floor apartment with my flock tucked safe inside went up in one heartbreakingly humongous _boom. _


End file.
